Susan Granger’s review of “Nightbitch” (Searchlight Pictures)
The concept of motherhood is changing. According to a recent Pew Research study, many young adults have decided not to have children – more women than men. They cite many practical reasons – like the environment and high cost of living – but, above all, for women, it’s all about the sacrifices they must make.
So it’s incredibly timely how Amy Adams’ new dark comedy “Nightbitch” captures both the happiness and horror of motherhood, along with the tedium of suburban domesticity.
Known for her sculptures and installations, Mother (Adams) was once an accomplished artist. Then along came Son (twins Arleigh Patrick & Emmett James Snowden). Mother dutifully stays home to tend Son while Husband (Scoot McNairy) goes off to work at a job that often takes him out of town.
“Happiness is a choice,” she’s told. But when you’re sleep-deprived/exhausted by being ‘on-call’ 24/7 to a demanding toddler, something’s gotta give insofar as sanity is concerned.
That’s when vulnerable Mother – fueled by anger at Husband – discovers that she’s growing feral, turning into a dog – a magnificent red husky – which doesn’t ultimately bode well for the family cat.
Based on Rachel Yoder’s bizarre 2021 novel, this feminist fable is adapted and directed by Marielle Heller (“Diary of a Teenage Girl,” “Can You Ever Forgive Me?”), who often punctuates Mother’s reactions with candid fantasy sequences – like in the grocery store when she rants at the former colleague who took her place at the art gallery or when she’s attending Book Babies sing-alongs at the library.
“I am deeply afraid that I am never going to be smart, or happy, or thin, ever again,” Mother confesses.
Bottom line: the plot examines what happens to a marriage when a modern couple slips into retro gender-defined roles. Inevitably, there’s a challenge and a showdown:
“What happened to my curious, freewheeling wife?” bewildered Husband inquires. “She died in childbirth,” is harried, haggard Mother’s resentful reply.
On the Grange Gauge of 1 to 10, “Nightbitch” is a perceptively bitter, sardonic, surreal 7 – streaming on Hulu and Hulu through Disney+.
