• Comedy
• Fantasy

Nightbitch 2024

Directed by Marielle Heller and based on the 2021 novel by Rachel Yoder, Nightbitch (2024) is a surreal black comedy body horror that explores the primal, often visceral side of modern motherhood. The film follows a woman referred to only as "Mother" (played by Amy Adams), a former artist who has paused her career to become a stay-at-home parent to her two-year-old son. As she struggles with the isolation of domestic life and the frequent absences of her well-meaning but oblivious husband, she begins to undergo a bizarre physical and psychological transformation. She discovers a patch of coarse hair on her lower back, her sense of smell becomes hyper-attuned, and she begins to experience canine-like urges, eventually becoming convinced that she is literally turning into a dog. The narrative centers on Mother’s descent into a "feral" state as a response to the crushing boredom and societal pressures of suburban parenting. After discovering she is growing a tail and extra nipples, she stops fighting her animalistic instincts and begins to embrace them. She starts eating out of a dog bowl, growling at judgmental neighbors, and running through the streets at night. During these nocturnal outings, she bonds with a pack of local dogs and even kills the family’s pet cat in a moment of primal predator-prey instinct. As her behavior becomes more erratic, she forces her husband (Scoot McNairy) into a trial separation so she can focus on a new art project. This period of "wildness" actually leads to a creative rebirth. She realizes that her own mother likely shared this animalistic trait, and she sees the same willful, "animal" spark in her young son. Rather than a literal werewolf-style metamorphosis, the film treats the transformation as a powerful metaphor for reclaiming one's identity. By the end, Mother successfully exhibits her new art—a raw, visceral tribute to motherhood—and reconciles with her husband. The film concludes with the family reunited and Mother giving birth to her second child, a daughter, now at peace with the "animal" within her. Despite being a high-profile project for Searchlight Pictures, Nightbitch had a very limited theatrical footprint. It was originally slated as a streaming-only title before being granted a limited theatrical release on December 6, 2024, primarily to qualify for awards season. Consequently, its box office numbers were modest, totaling approximately $171,000 worldwide, with the vast majority of that coming from its brief run in the United Kingdom and select U.S. cities. The film's financial success was instead measured by its performance on digital platforms, where it became a significant "sleeper hit."Following its awards-qualifying theatrical run, Nightbitch (2024) transitioned to global streaming platforms through Disney’s distribution network. In the United States, the film premiered on Hulu on December 27, 2024, and was simultaneously made available via the Hulu hub on Disney+ for bundle subscribers. For international audiences in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Canada, and Australia, the movie skipped or had a very limited theatrical presence and instead debuted as a Disney+ Star Original on January 24, 2025. In most other European, Asian, and Latin American territories where Disney+ operates, the film follows a similar release pattern under the "Star" or "General Entertainment" banners. Additionally, for those without a subscription, the film became available for digital purchase and rental (PVOD) on platforms like Apple TV, Amazon Prime Video, and Google Play starting in late January and February 2025. Read More

• 2024
• 1 h : 39 min
• 473 views
• 5.475
• R