So… in Nightbitch, Amy Adams plays a depressed and tired woman who begins to turn into a dog to escape the trappings of motherhood and stay-at-home-momness, and if that sounds like a concept that either could be ridiculously good or outright awful… you’re not wrong.
Unfortunately, Nightbitch may be the dud of the holiday and award season, limited box office factors aside. Adams looks downright bored in the role, perhaps even confused as to how her agent got her entangled in this tedious little drama to nowhere. “Tedious” is a strong word, though—strong in that it perhaps oversells how flat and uninspiring this movie is.
The concept could have worked, maybe, with the right execution and willingness to push limits. Be more ridiculous. Go a little crazy. Or at least have something important to say. That execution isn’t there.
It’s not without its merits. You can see Adams trying to tap into the underlying theme of motherly expectations and maintaining well-being, but how it all manifests in the film simply doesn’t work. There’s another movie that explores maternal exhaustion in much more compelling and entertaining ways—Tully, starring Charlize Theron—and when you spend the whole time watching a movie wishing you were watching a different movie, that isn’t a good sign.
Nightbitch lacks both bark and bite, and any movie that wastes Amy Adams immediately goes on the naughty list.
Review by Erik Samdahl unless otherwise indicated.
