PLOT: A woman (Amy Adams) who gave up her career as a stay-at-home mom begins to think she’s turning into a dog.

REVIEW: I don’t know why, but when I first heard the premise for Nightbitch, I assumed it was going to be a horror movie. I’m definitely not the only one, as if you Google the film, it’s still classified as horror, and the posters make it look like dark, edgy fare. Imagine my surprise when I discovered that Nightbitch, despite its provocative title, is actually a sweet tribute to motherhood and the pressures therein, similar to Jason Reitman’s Tully. 

It’s a good little movie, with Amy Adams getting her best role in a couple of years as the increasingly harried and unnamed protagonist (she’s credited only as mother). Once a noted bohemian artist, her days mostly consist of caring for her toddler son, with her sense of isolation growing more potent by the day. Her husband (Scott McNairy) is a nice enough guy, but he takes her for granted and is somewhat oblivious to how, as her life has becomes solely defined by her role as a wife and mother, she’s lost her identity.

While it sounds serious, director Marielle Heller approaches Nightbitch with a light touch. She’s non-judgemental and presents Mother as a bit of her own worst enemy in some ways in that she only ever vocalizes her frustrations in fantasy sequences. But, when she thinks she’s becoming a dog, with fur sprouting out of her back and her teeth suddenly becoming sharper, she becomes somewhat liberated and starts to regain her sense of self.

Certainly, this movie will cut close to the bone for any parent with a young child. It’s probably a good one to watch together as a couple, as Heller’s script tries to be fair to everyone, including the husband who, in a simpler film (such as Tully), would be presented as oafish. Here, he vocalizes his own frustrations and isn’t shown to be constantly off base, with McNairy always sympathetic.

Yet, this is a showcase for Amy Adams more than anything, and certainly, you’ve never seen her like this before. In a performance utterly without vanity, we get to watch her go to the dogs, literally, as she goes down on all fours playing with the pups she meets at the park and shoves her face into a bowl of Mac-and-cheese (with meatloaf on top) at the grocery store. Heck, we even get to see Amy Adams sing a Weird Al Yankovic song (“Dare to be Stupid”) in perhaps my favorite needle drop of the year. 

Nightbitch is Heller’s fourth film, and like all of her other movies, it’s slickly made, with excellent cinematography by Brandon Trost. She’s always had a good sense of pacing, with her accomplishing quite a bit in a movie that runs just a hair over ninety minutes. It also has some nice, empathetic moments, with characters that initially seem vacuous showing surprising depth, and a nice supporting role for Phantom of the Paradise & Suspiria legend Jessica Harper, who, between this and last year’s Memory, seems to be making a very welcome comeback.

While horror fans will be disappointed to learn this isn’t the quasi-Amy Adams werewolf movie we all wanted, Nightbitch is still a nice little flick that would make for a great night out at the theatre for new parents. Just expect a heavy conversation on the drive home. 

Nightbitch

GOOD

7

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Amy Adams has been in development with Nightbitch for quite a while, but you can now get a first look at the new surreal film now that a trailer has recently released from Searchlight Pictures. The film has been written and directed by Marielle Heller (Can You Ever Forgive Me?), Nightbitch is based on a novel by Rachel Yoder. The film will tell the story of “a suburban mom thrown into the stay-at-home routine of raising a toddler. As she embraces the feral power deeply rooted in motherhood, she becomes increasingly aware of the bizarre and undeniable signs that she may be turning into a dog.”

Adams plays that possibly canine housewife. Scoot McNairy (Monsters) is also in the cast, playing her “oft-traveling husband,” while Mary Holland, who is best known for appearing in the Netflix release Senior Year and for co-writing and co-starring in Clea DuVall’s romantic comedy Happiest Season, takes on an unspecified role. The cast will also include Arleigh Patrick Snowden, Emmett James Snowden, Zoë Chao, Archana Rajan and Jessica Harper.

Coming to us from Searchlight Pictures and Annapurna, Nightbitch is produced by Heller, Adams, Anne Carey, Stacy O’Neil, Christina Oh, and Sue Naegle. Sammy Scher and Havilah Brewster serve as executive producers.

Yoder’s novel (pick up a copy HERE) has the following description: 
“One day, the mother was a mother, but then one night, she was quite suddenly something else… An ambitious mother puts her art career on hold to stay at home with her newborn son, but the experience does not match her imagination. Two years later, she steps into the bathroom for a break from her toddler’s demands, only to discover a dense patch of hair on the back of her neck. In the mirror, her canines suddenly look sharper than she remembers. Her husband, who travels for work five days a week, casually dismisses her fears from faraway hotel rooms. As the mother’s symptoms intensify, and her temptation to give in to her new dog impulses peak, she struggles to keep her alter-canine-identity secret. Seeking a cure at the library, she discovers the mysterious academic tome which becomes her bible, A Field Guide to Magical Women: A Mythical Ethnography, and meets a group of mommies involved in a multilevel-marketing scheme who may also be more than what they seem. An outrageously original novel of ideas about art, power, and womanhood wrapped in a satirical fairy tale, Nightbitch will make you want to howl in laughter and recognition. And you should. You should howl as much as you want.”

Nightbitch is set to hit theaters this December.

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Searchlight Pictures will be giving Nightbitch, a project that has been described as being a darkly comic “neo-horror” movie and stars Amy Adams (American Hustle) in the lead role, a theatrical release on December 6th – which is an upgrade in the release plans, as Nightbitch was originally meant to be released through the Hulu streaming service. The movie will also be screening at the 49th Toronto International Film Festival in September, and while we wait to see a trailer, Vanity Fair has just unveiled a batch of first look images. Those can be seen at the bottom of this article.

Written and directed by Marielle Heller (Can You Ever Forgive Me?), Nightbitch is based on a novel by Rachel Yoder. The film will tell the story of a suburban mom thrown into the stay-at-home routine of raising a toddler. As she embraces the feral power deeply rooted in motherhood, she becomes increasingly aware of the bizarre and undeniable signs that she may be turning into a dog.

Adams plays that possibly canine housewife. Scoot McNairy (Monsters) is also in the cast, playing her “oft-traveling husband,” while Mary Holland, who is best known for appearing in the Netflix release Senior Year and for co-writing and co-starring in Clea DuVall’s romantic comedy Happiest Season, takes on an unspecified role.

Coming to us from Searchlight Pictures and Annapurna, Nightbitch is produced by Heller, Adams, Anne Carey, Stacy O’Neil, Christina Oh, and Sue Naegle. Sammy Scher and Havilah Brewster serve as executive producers.

Yoder’s novel (pick up a copy HERE) has the following description: One day, the mother was a mother, but then one night, she was quite suddenly something else… An ambitious mother puts her art career on hold to stay at home with her newborn son, but the experience does not match her imagination. Two years later, she steps into the bathroom for a break from her toddler’s demands, only to discover a dense patch of hair on the back of her neck. In the mirror, her canines suddenly look sharper than she remembers. Her husband, who travels for work five days a week, casually dismisses her fears from faraway hotel rooms. As the mother’s symptoms intensify, and her temptation to give in to her new dog impulses peak, she struggles to keep her alter-canine-identity secret. Seeking a cure at the library, she discovers the mysterious academic tome which becomes her bible, A Field Guide to Magical Women: A Mythical Ethnography, and meets a group of mommies involved in a multilevel-marketing scheme who may also be more than what they seem. An outrageously original novel of ideas about art, power, and womanhood wrapped in a satirical fairy tale, Nightbitch will make you want to howl in laughter and recognition. And you should. You should howl as much as you want.

Are you interested in Nightbitch? Take a look at the images, then let us know by leaving a comment below.

The post Nightbitch images: Amy Adams might be turning into a dog in darkly comic neo-horror film appeared first on JoBlo.

Amy Adams has been in development with Nightbitch for over a year, but details have now started to surface as the neo-horror film has recently released a new poster from Searchlight Pictures. The film has been written and directed by Marielle Heller (Can You Ever Forgive Me?), Nightbitch is based on a novel by Rachel Yoder. The film will tell the story of “a suburban mom thrown into the stay-at-home routine of raising a toddler. As she embraces the feral power deeply rooted in motherhood, she becomes increasingly aware of the bizarre and undeniable signs that she may be turning into a dog.”

Adams plays that possibly canine housewife. Scoot McNairy (Monsters) is also in the cast, playing her “oft-traveling husband,” while Mary Holland, who is best known for appearing in the Netflix release Senior Year and for co-writing and co-starring in Clea DuVall’s romantic comedy Happiest Season, takes on an unspecified role. The cast will also include Arleigh Patrick Snowden, Emmett James Snowden, Zoë Chao, Archana Rajan and Jessica Harper.

Coming to us from Searchlight Pictures and Annapurna, Nightbitch is produced by Heller, Adams, Anne Carey, Stacy O’Neil, Christina Oh, and Sue Naegle. Sammy Scher and Havilah Brewster serve as executive producers.

Yoder’s novel (pick up a copy HERE) has the following description: 
“One day, the mother was a mother, but then one night, she was quite suddenly something else… An ambitious mother puts her art career on hold to stay at home with her newborn son, but the experience does not match her imagination. Two years later, she steps into the bathroom for a break from her toddler’s demands, only to discover a dense patch of hair on the back of her neck. In the mirror, her canines suddenly look sharper than she remembers. Her husband, who travels for work five days a week, casually dismisses her fears from faraway hotel rooms. As the mother’s symptoms intensify, and her temptation to give in to her new dog impulses peak, she struggles to keep her alter-canine-identity secret. Seeking a cure at the library, she discovers the mysterious academic tome which becomes her bible, A Field Guide to Magical Women: A Mythical Ethnography, and meets a group of mommies involved in a multilevel-marketing scheme who may also be more than what they seem. An outrageously original novel of ideas about art, power, and womanhood wrapped in a satirical fairy tale, Nightbitch will make you want to howl in laughter and recognition. And you should. You should howl as much as you want.”

The film was originally slated for December 6, but the poster reveals that it will move up to sometime in the fall.

The post Nightbitch: A new poster has been released for the surreal Amy Adams film appeared first on JoBlo.

It’s been a year and a half since Nightbitch, a project that has been described as being a darkly comic “neo-horror” movie, went into production with Amy Adams (American Hustle) in the lead role, and now we finally have an update to share: Searchlight Pictures has announced that they will be giving the film a theatrical release on December 6, 2024. This is an upgrade in the release plans, as Nightbitch was originally meant to be released through the Hulu streaming service.

Written and directed by Marielle Heller (Can You Ever Forgive Me?), Nightbitch is based on a novel by Rachel Yoder. The film will tell the story of a suburban mom thrown into the stay-at-home routine of raising a toddler. As she embraces the feral power deeply rooted in motherhood, she becomes increasingly aware of the bizarre and undeniable signs that she may be turning into a dog.

Adams plays that possibly canine housewife. Scoot McNairy (Monsters) is also in the cast, playing her “oft-traveling husband,” while Mary Holland, who is best known for appearing in the Netflix release Senior Year and for co-writing and co-starring in Clea DuVall’s romantic comedy Happiest Season, takes on an unspecified role.

Coming to us from Searchlight Pictures and Annapurna, Nightbitch is produced by Heller, Adams, Anne Carey, Stacy O’Neil, Christina Oh, and Sue Naegle. Sammy Scher and Havilah Brewster serve as executive producers.

Yoder’s novel (pick up a copy HERE) has the following description: One day, the mother was a mother, but then one night, she was quite suddenly something else… An ambitious mother puts her art career on hold to stay at home with her newborn son, but the experience does not match her imagination. Two years later, she steps into the bathroom for a break from her toddler’s demands, only to discover a dense patch of hair on the back of her neck. In the mirror, her canines suddenly look sharper than she remembers. Her husband, who travels for work five days a week, casually dismisses her fears from faraway hotel rooms. As the mother’s symptoms intensify, and her temptation to give in to her new dog impulses peak, she struggles to keep her alter-canine-identity secret. Seeking a cure at the library, she discovers the mysterious academic tome which becomes her bible, A Field Guide to Magical Women: A Mythical Ethnography, and meets a group of mommies involved in a multilevel-marketing scheme who may also be more than what they seem. An outrageously original novel of ideas about art, power, and womanhood wrapped in a satirical fairy tale, Nightbitch will make you want to howl in laughter and recognition. And you should. You should howl as much as you want.

Are you interested in Nightbitch? Are you glad to hear the movie is getting a December theatrical release instead of a Hulu streaming release? Let us know by leaving a comment below.

The post Nightbitch: December release date announced for darkly comic neo-horror film starring Amy Adams appeared first on JoBlo.

Nightbitch, a project that has been described as being a darkly comic “neo-horror” movie, is currently filming with Amy Adams (American Hustle) in the lead role – and Deadline has just broken the news that Adams is being joined in the cast by Mary Holland, who is best known for appearing in the Netflix release Senior Year and for co-writing and co-starring in Clea DuVall’s romantic comedy Happiest Season. Details on the character she’ll be playing in Nightbitch have not been revealed.

Written and directed by Marielle Heller (Can You Ever Forgive Me?), Nightbitch is based on a novel by Rachel Yoder. The film will tell the story of a suburban mom thrown into the stay-at-home routine of raising a toddler. As she embraces the feral power deeply rooted in motherhood, she becomes increasingly aware of the bizarre and undeniable signs that she may be turning into a dog.

Adams is playing that possibly canine housewife. Scoot McNairy (Monsters) is also in the cast, playing her “oft-traveling husband”.

Coming to us from Searchlight Pictures and Annapurna, Nightbitch is being produced by Heller, Adams, Megan Ellison, Anne Carey, Stacy O’Neil, Christina Oh, Adam Paulsen, and Sue Naegle. Sammy Scher and Havilah Brewster serve as executive producers.

Yoder’s novel (pick up a copy HERE) has the following description:

One day, the mother was a mother, but then one night, she was quite suddenly something else…

An ambitious mother puts her art career on hold to stay at home with her newborn son, but the experience does not match her imagination. Two years later, she steps into the bathroom for a break from her toddler’s demands, only to discover a dense patch of hair on the back of her neck. In the mirror, her canines suddenly look sharper than she remembers. Her husband, who travels for work five days a week, casually dismisses her fears from faraway hotel rooms.

As the mother’s symptoms intensify, and her temptation to give in to her new dog impulses peak, she struggles to keep her alter-canine-identity secret. Seeking a cure at the library, she discovers the mysterious academic tome which becomes her bible, A Field Guide to Magical Women: A Mythical Ethnography, and meets a group of mommies involved in a multilevel-marketing scheme who may also be more than what they seem.

An outrageously original novel of ideas about art, power, and womanhood wrapped in a satirical fairy tale, Nightbitch will make you want to howl in laughter and recognition. And you should. You should howl as much as you want.

Nightbitch will be streaming on Hulu as a Hulu Original in the United States. A release date has not yet been announced.

How does Nightbitch sound to you, and what do you think of Mary Holland joining the cast? Share your thoughts on this one by leaving a comment below.

The post Nightbitch: Mary Holland joins Amy Adams in Hulu’s darkly comic neo-horror film appeared first on JoBlo.

Two years have gone by since Amy Adams signed on to star in Nightbitch, a project that has been described as being a darkly comic “neo-horror” movie. Now Nightbitch is gearing up to head into production, and Variety reports that Adams is being joined in the cast by Scoot McNairy (Monsters).

Written and directed by Marielle Heller (Can You Ever Forgive Me?), Nightbitch is based on a novel by Rachel Yoder. The film will tell the story of

a suburban mom thrown into the stay-at-home routine of raising a toddler. As she embraces the feral power deeply rooted in motherhood, she becomes increasingly aware of the bizarre and undeniable signs that she may be turning into a dog.

Adams will be playing that possibly canine housewife, while McNairy takes on the role of her “oft-traveling husband”.

Coming to us from Searchlight Pictures and Annapurna, Nightbitch is being produced by Heller, Adams, Megan Ellison, Anne Carey, Stacy O’Neil, Christina Oh, Adam Paulsen, and Sue Naegle. Sammy Scher and Havilah Brewster serve as executive producers.

Yoder’s novel (pick up a copy HERE) has the following description:

One day, the mother was a mother, but then one night, she was quite suddenly something else…

An ambitious mother puts her art career on hold to stay at home with her newborn son, but the experience does not match her imagination. Two years later, she steps into the bathroom for a break from her toddler’s demands, only to discover a dense patch of hair on the back of her neck. In the mirror, her canines suddenly look sharper than she remembers. Her husband, who travels for work five days a week, casually dismisses her fears from faraway hotel rooms.

As the mother’s symptoms intensify, and her temptation to give in to her new dog impulses peak, she struggles to keep her alter-canine-identity secret. Seeking a cure at the library, she discovers the mysterious academic tome which becomes her bible, A Field Guide to Magical Women: A Mythical Ethnography, and meets a group of mommies involved in a multilevel-marketing scheme who may also be more than what they seem.

An outrageously original novel of ideas about art, power, and womanhood wrapped in a satirical fairy tale, Nightbitch will make you want to howl in laughter and recognition. And you should. You should howl as much as you want.

Nightbitch will be streaming on Hulu as a Hulu Original in the United States. A release date has not yet been announced.

How does Nightbitch sound to you? Let us know by leaving a comment below.

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Searchlight Pictures has just closed a $25 million+ worldwide rights deal for Annapurna’s neo-horror film Nightbitch, starring six-time Academy Award nominee, Amy Adams.

Per Deadline, it was a pretty competitive sale because of the film’s plot and the talent behind it. Marielle Heller, director of Can You Ever Forgive Me? is at the helm while Rachel Yoder will be adapting her very own acclaimed novel that the film is based on for the movie’s script. The film focuses on a woman who is stuck in the stay-at-home routine of raising a toddler in the suburbs. She soon embraces the feral power deeply rooted in motherhood which makes her increasingly aware of the signs that she may be turning into a canine.

Bond Group and Annapurna acquired the film rights to the book back in 2020 and played a part in developing the script with Heller. The original plan was to launch a sales pitch at the Cannes Film Festival but Searchlight has been tracking this project since Berlin. Five offers were made for the film but Searchlight, showing that persistence pays off, won in the end. Searchlight Presidents David Greenbaum and Matthew Greenfield had this to say about the project:

“We are long-time admirers of Amy Adams, and we are thrilled to join with Annapurna and this incredibly creative team of filmmakers to bring this unique story to the screen. We’re also delighted to reunite with Mari Heller and Anne Carey again following the collaboration on Can You Ever Forgive Me? Mari has brilliantly adapted Rachel Yoder’s stunning debut for what promises to be a provocative film.”

Heller seems to have the magic touch when it comes to Oscar nominations. She recently directed the Oscar-nominated and critically acclaimed Mr. Rogers drama A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, starring Tom Hanks, who garnered an Academy Award nomination for his performance. She previously worked with Searchlight Pictures as the director of the letter forgery dramedy Can You Ever Forgive Me?, starring Academy Award-nominated actors Melissa McCarthy and Richard E. Grant.

Are YOU excited to see Nightbitch?

The post Nightbitch: Searchlight Pictures closes $25 million+ deal for Annapurna neo-horror film with Amy Adams appeared first on JoBlo.

Per Deadline, Annapurna Pictures has come out on top in an auction to land the rights to "Nightbitch," the upcoming debut novel of Rachel Yoder. The project is being developed as a starring vehicle for Amy Adams (Sharp Objects), and just wait until you hear the premise.

"Nightbitch," which will be published by Doubleday in Summer 2021, aims to expose "the absurd and feral truths of motherhood" in a "darkly comedic telling of an unnamed woman and former artist, thrust into stay-at-home domesticity after the birth of her son, who becomes increasingly worried and convinced that she may be turning into a dog." I'm game. Amy Adams and Stacy O'Neil will produce the project for Bond Group Entertainment, with Annapurna Pictures' Megan Ellison serving as executive producer alongside Sue Naegle and Sammy Scher. Rachel Yoder will adapt her own book and serve as an executive producer as well.

Amy Adams has several projects just over the horizon, including THE WOMAN IN THE WINDOW, a thriller from Joe Wright (DARKEST NIGHT) which stars Amy Adams  as Dr. Anna Fox, an agoraphobic child psychologist who witnesses a crime while spying on her neighbours. The film also stars Julianne Moore (KINGSMAN: THE GOLDEN CIRCLE), Gary Oldman (HUNTER KILLER), Brian Tyree Henry (JOKER), Wyatt Russell (OVERLORD), and Anthony Mackie (AVENGERS: ENDGAME). Adams also stars in HILLBILLY ELEGY from Ron Howard (SOLO: A STAR WARS STORY), which is a modern exploration of the American Dream following three generations of an Appalachian family. The actress will also be seen as Lois Lane once again in Zack Snyder's JUSTICE LEAGUE, which will debut on HBO Max next year.

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