Virginia Film Festival

Two years after giving birth and leaving her career behind, Mother (Amy Adams) is still learning to manage stay-at-home motherhood’s ceaseless and grueling responsibilities. Dealing with a physically and emotionally distant husband and struggling to relate to other seemingly perfect moms in their suburban city, Mother is left feeling like an isolated, insecure shell of her former self. This cycle of monotony ends when she notices her body is undergoing a surreal and inexplicable transformation—one that makes her believe she’s turning into a dog. In this feral and funny performance, Amy Adams offers a poignant depiction of a woman’s unraveling and reclamation of her identity. Written and directed by Marielle Heller (Can You Ever Forgive Me?)– and based on Rachel Yoder’s 2021 acclaimed novel of the same name – Nightbitch is a magical realist exploration of maternity and a bizarre yet compelling depiction of the animalistic need for connection and fulfillment that lives within us all.

Discussion with producer Anne Carey