Nightbitch – Movie Review | Hulu (4/5)

NIGHTBITCH on Hulu is a new darkly comedic genre-bender about motherhood – with a touch of body horror. Amy Adams is brilliant and deservedly already Golden Globe-nominated. Read our full Nightbitch movie review here – find it on Hulu now!

NIGHTBITCH is on Hulu now and you do not want to miss out on this little gem of a genre-bender. Overall, it’s best described as a “darkly comedic movie” but it also offers up elements of body horror.

It was released in movie theaters on December 6, but don’t fear that this movie has been rushed to Hulu. In fact, it’s the other way around. Nightbitch was slated to go directly to Hulu, but the wonderful reception at test screenings resulted in a theatrical release.

Continue reading our Nightbitch movie review below. Find it on Hulu from December 27, 2024.

I am woman, hear me growl and bark

In NightBitch, we meet a woman who has gone from being an active and celebrated artist to a stay-at-home mom. The repetitive routine of raising a toddler in the suburbs was a choice that she is no longer quite sure she made actively.

Or rather, she had no idea what she was getting herself into.

She misses being herself. In fact, she no longer knows exactly who she is apart from being a mother. Highlighted by the fact that her character is known only as “Mother”. The child’s father, on the other hand, is listed as “Husband” in the credits.

This is not an attack on men who continue to work while their wives stay at home. Instead, it’s questioning how maybe there are other (better) options for many modern families. Solutions that could include two actively involved parents with identities outside of parenthood.

For the mother in Nightbitch (Amy Adams), being a stay-at-home mom is making her lose her mind. She is certain that no one else feels the same because she avoids all the other moms, assuming that they’re just happy. Just as she pretends to be a happy-go-lucky mom.

Pushing down her real feelings – which we see when it’s shown to us what she really wants to say or do in a given situation – is driving her crazy. The feral power of motherhood is scratching its way to the surface. Could she actually be turning into a dog?!

Well, certain furry signs and an elevated sense of smell point to yes.

Showing women in all their power

Amy Adams plays the lead role (title role, if you will, as she gives herself this name) and is brilliant. Alongside Demi Moore in The Substance, these two wonderful actors are nominated for awards across the board. And deservedly so.

Demi Moore and Amy Adams also recently did the “Actors on Actors”-conversation (a Variety concept) on the heels of their respective movies. Both movies deal with women at their breaking points. And both breaking points are brought on by societal expectations.

You can watch their “Actors on Actors” talk for free on YouTube here >

I love both The Substance and Nightbitch, though I loved the former more. It’s also a lot darker and more of a body horror movie. Still, I would recommend both as they show women in all their power – often at the moment when they feel they’ve lost all power.

Check out our 5-star review of The Substance here >

Watch Nightbitch on Hulu now

Marielle Heller is the writer and director of Nightbitch. She previously wrote and directed her feature film debut The Diary of a Teenage Girl (2015). Then she went on to direct Can You Ever Forgive Me? and A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood.

The former starred Melissa McCarthy and the latter Tom Hanks. Both received Oscar nominations for their portrayals. Now, it could be a hattrick of nominations if Amy Adams also receives one. Amy Adams already has 6 Oscar nominations on her resume.

Co-starring with Amy Adams (who is the absolute star of the movie) are Scoot McNairy, Mary Holland, Jessica Harper, Archana Rajan, and Zoë Chao. Each one of them is wonderful and delivers exactly what’s needed from their respective portrayals.

This new dark comedy with elements of body horror is based on the book by Rachel Yoder. The taglines of “Motherhood is a bitch” and “Unleash the Beast” tease those animalistic elements that come into play when Mother Nature kicks into gear.

Amy Adams is also a producer on the movie, and while I am not a mother myself, I can easily recognize what she’s going through. Expectations – your own as well as those of culture and society – can be damning. And yes, fighting back can require that you get a little feral!

Nightbitch is on Hulu from December 27, 2024.

Details

Director: Marielle Heller
Script: Marielle Heller
Cast: Amy Adams, Scoot McNairy, Arleigh & Emmett Snowden, Jessica Harper, Archana Rajan, Mary Holland, Zoë Chao