Spoiler Alert! The following article reveals significant plot points and the conclusion of “Nightbitch,” currently in theaters.
Every dog has its moment to shine.
In the darkly comedic film “Nightbitch,” Amy Adams portrays a fatigued mother who begins to believe she is transforming into a red-haired Husky. This feminist fairy tale explores the overwhelming pressures of motherhood, as the protagonist—referred to simply as Mother—harnesses her anger and reclaims her strength by tapping into her primal instincts.
The movie is adapted from Rachel Yoder’s 2021 novel, with direction by Marielle Heller (“Can You Ever Forgive Me?”). Notable differences between the film and the book include:
The film portrays Mother’s husband in a more sympathetic light.
The adaptation expands on various characters and introduces new ones. It includes flashbacks that delve into Mother’s religious background and her discontented mother (Kerry O’Malley), who also appears to have had canine tendencies. Additionally, Mother develops closer relationships with other parents and Norma (Jessica Harper), the town's wise librarian, who presents her with a mysterious book titled “The Field Guide to Mystical Women.” In the original novel, Mother becomes fixated on finding the author of the “Field Guide,” Wanda White, but this subplot has been omitted from the film.
The most notable alteration concerns Mother’s husband (Scoot McNairy). In Yoder’s book, he is portrayed as largely passive and detached, especially when Mother begins sleeping in a separate room and seeks more solitude for her art. Each night, she transforms into a dog and roams the neighborhood, with him dutifully cleaning her up upon her return each morning.
However, the film presents a more balanced dynamic in their relationship. Mother holds her husband accountable for her decision to abandon her career for domestic life. In a tense argument, he retorts that she has shown little interest in his daily life and has harbored resentment without addressing her feelings. They ultimately agree to separate and share parenting responsibilities for their son, which allows her more freedom to pursue her painting.
One of the book’s most striking moments occurs when Mother’s son enters the kitchen and discovers his mother’s face smeared with blood, hovering over their deceased cat. While Mother still harbors animosity towards the cat in the film, the scene is notably less savage: One night, Nightbitch ventures into her front yard, where local dogs have gathered a feast of lifeless rodents and skunks. She opts to add the kitty to the sacrificial heap, lunging for the cat just before the scene shifts to Mother, who has reverted to her human form and is lying in bed.
Heller believed that the depiction of Adams slaughtering the cat would be too “gruesome” and “intense” for most viewers to handle. “There is a significant difference between actually witnessing something and envisioning it in your mind,” Heller explains to USA TODAY. “I discussed it with Rachel Yoder and said, ‘I think we should eliminate the cat from her canine form.’ Her response was, ‘You're absolutely right; that is the correct decision. I don't think anyone could manage to see that in a physical sense.’” The film's conclusion diverges significantly from the 'Nightbitch' novel. The book wraps up on a much stranger note than the film. Newly inspired to create, Mother chooses to organize a performance art exhibition at a local theater, where she appears in dog form alongside a pile of bones. Nightbitch pursues audience members through a sort of imagined forest before killing a rabbit onstage and presenting it to her young son. The surreal theater piece becomes a controversial media phenomenon, as viewers find it both repugnant and beautiful.
The movie is far less fantastical: Mother hosts a rather modest art exhibition at a local gallery showcasing paintings and sculptures of women and dogs. By the end of the evening, she reconciles with her husband, and the family finds harmony with her animalistic inclinations, depicted in a wide shot of them playing in a bedroom that transforms into a forest. In the final moments, Mother gives birth to a baby girl in her living room, emitting a primal scream before the credits roll. As much as we admire both Adams and Heller, fans of Yoder’s novel might feel let down that “Nightbitch” has been softened for the cinematic adaptation. The book’s sharp satire and murky essence have largely been replaced with social media-friendly female empowerment messages. However, Heller states that she did not aim to create a “direct translation” due to the stream-of-consciousness style of Yoder’s writing. “The objective became to absorb her book, understand it as thoroughly as possible, let it blend with my own experiences, and then create from that process,” Heller explains. “It's much more about transforming into something new.” That’s what makes Heller’s adaptation remarkable, Adams adds. “There is so much that each individual can relate to, regardless of whether they have children or if they are fathers or mothers. There’s something in this narrative that feels incredibly relatable and universal.” Contributing: Brian Truitt