Nightbitch

This is so not what I was expecting... But it is so much better!
I didn't had a lot of knowledge of what the movie was about prior to watching it. I knew it had Amy adams playing a woman who - for some reason - was "kind of becoming a _literal_ bitch".
The movie actually portrays the rather complex feelings of maternity, the struggle of arranging the self - the one you created and the one the others created with this brand new role of being a mom. What happens with your friendships, career, marriage, interests, etc?
It's not simple as "love it or hate it".
Are you more of a person because you're now a mother? Or are you less of a person because you could be losing who you are because all you can be is a mom and nothing else? How much of this feeling and role is part of the social structure that we live in? How much of it is primal? Is being a mom a godly thing or an animalesque act?

I loved this movie. I thought it was original - I don't think I've ever watched a movie that talks about motherhood quite like this. As someone who has chosen not to be a mother, I know there's more to it than I could completely relate to. I appreciated the vulnerability and rawness of it.

Ahhhh, it felt so great being able to lean back and relate only on a level of familiarity that is a generation removed. This filled me with both horror and happiness, about how I do not have offspring.

Frenetic, chaotic and tense. It's a spectacle of acting from Amy Adams, whose performance takes the story to another level. The movie explores in a peculiar way all the emotional and physical burdens, transformations and adaptations that come with motherhood. There are hilarious scenes and some extremely bizarre ones, alternating moments of lightness with intense crises and chaos. Everything is presented in an honest and genuine way, especially the body horror elements, which are visceral and fit the context perfectly.

I'm trying not to sound like a gatekeeper here... but if you don't have a child, you may not relate to or enjoy this movie as much. Amy Adams is excellent, the cinematography is great. It's a film that shows the real struggles of caring for a child on your own where there is nothing real beyond your own sphere of influence. When pushed to your limit, a parent can become feral in a way (no pun intended).

It's definitely worth your time if you have any kind of objective reasoning or cinema prowess.

I have a lot of thoughts about this film, but the main thing, without spoilers, is that it is marriage porn.

The film starts really strong, I was so pumped, but tones it down a bit on the commentary to build some characters up.

If you happen to end up like them, I'm extremely happy for you, but this film barely scraps the amount of unpaid, unthanked, unloved worked that mothers and wives happen to do due to societal pressure.

That out of the way, Amy was incredible and her acting chops should be celebrated.

This one was weird in a good way. Admittedly, for a sizable chunk of this movie I was waiting for the plot twist that she was becoming a dog. It did not happen, but I still enjoyed this one. There is an audience precisely in mind for this movie, but if you are like me, go in blind.

Rating: 3/5 - 75% - Worth Watching

It's good to watch a low key film as part of a balanced cinematic diet. I liked Nightbitch, particular as it started out like a Kafka-esque life-change metaphor, uttering then it was literally, then maybe it wasn't. On one level it's a case study in the unrelenting barrage of burdens and stress thrown at mums, and on another level... it's something else. Amy Adams is as-always understated and engrossing which is uncommon but welcome in something that is loosely a horror/black comedy. I liked that it was something new, although i thought the selfish husband who learned a valuable lesson was an over generalisation and a cliche... there's a fair bit to like but the slow pace and lack of an emotional gut punch limits its potential, and its rating.

It's good to watch a low key film as part of a balanced cinematic diet. I liked Nightbitch, particular as it started out like a Kafka-esque life-change metaphor,  uttering then it was literally, then maybe it wasn't.  On one level it's a case study in the unrelenting barrage of  burdens and stress thrown at mums, and on another level... it's something else. Amy Adams is as-always understated and engrossing which is uncommon but welcome in something that is loosely a horror/black comedy. I liked that it was something new, although i thought the selfish husband who learned a valuable lesson was an over generalisation and a cliche... there's a fair bit to like but the slow pace and lack of an emotional gut punch limits its potential, and its rating.

As a childfree person, this was like watching a horror movie. It affirmed me in my decision not to have kids. I am glad this movie gave a voice to mothers and their everyday struggles, which is desperately needed. The line uttered by the protagonist "it's not babysitting if it's your own kid" was powerful - because many men are detached from parenting, overburdening the mother in the process (yes, sexism still exists in 2024, believe it or not). It's a great feminist film that I can highly recommend, even though (or because!) it made me very, very uncomfortable. I am glad society is finally able to talk about these topics in a non-judgemental way.