“Mother’s not quite herself today…” That Norman Bates line from Psycho gets a new spin in this bracingly strange movie based on Rachel Yoder’s acclaimed 2021 novel. Mother (Amy Adams) used to be an artist in the big city. Now she’s just another mom in the suburbs. Her husband (Scoot McNairy) still travels widely for work, leaving Mother to feed, clothe, and amuse their toddler 24/7. Of course, she’s dog-tired. But that can’t explain the fuzziness around her neck and her tailbone… her newly acute sense of smell… or her sudden popularity with the canines in the neighbourhood… ?
Adams (who also produced) entrusted the reins to writer-director Marielle Heller (Diary of a Teenage Girl; Can You Ever Forgive Me?). A mom herself, Heller took on the assignment and ran with it. “It’s a comedy for women and a horror film for men,” she proclaims. Either way, it’s a must-see, not least for Amy Adams’ fearlessly feral performance.
Amy Adams, Scoot McNairy, Arleigh Patrick Snowden, Emmett James Snowden, Zoë Chao, Mary Holland
USA
2024
English
Book Tickets
Indigenous & Community Access
Indigenous Access Tickets Community Access Tickets Ticket Donation Requests
Credits & Director
Executive Producer
Megan Ellison, Allison Rose Carter, Havilah Brewster, Adam Paulsen, Sammy Scher, Rachel Yoder
Producer
Anne Carey, Marielle Heller, Sue Naegle, Christina Oh, Amy Adams, Stacy O’Neil
Screenwriter
Marielle Heller
Cinematography
Brandon Trost
Editor
Anne McCabe
Production Design
Karen Murphy
Original Music
Nate Heller
Marielle Heller
Marielle Heller is a filmmaker, producer, and actor who was born in Marin County, California. Her debut film, The Diary of a Teenage Girl (2015), adapted from Phoebe Gloeckner’s graphic novel, premiered at Sundance and won the Grand Prix at the Berlin International Film Festival. She later directed Can You Ever Forgive Me? (2018) and A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood (2019). Nightbitch is her latest film.
Filmography: The Diary of a Teenage Girl (2015); Can You Ever Forgive Me? (2018); A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood (2019)
Missing VIFF? Check out what's playing at the VIFF Centre
Trial of Hein
After 14 years on the mainland, Hein returns to the cloistered fishing village where he grew up. But when he arrives, he goes unrecognized. Amid mounting suspicion and hostility, the community holds a three-day trial to verify his identity.
We Are All Strangers
Anthony Chen tells the soulful story of a father and son in contemporary Singapore, each of whom gets married for very different reasons. This is a film about the human cost of poverty — poignant, relatable, and profound.
Shame and Money
Shaban and his wife make their living as dairy farmers in a rural Kosovan village, but when an act of betrayal upends their livelihood, they are forced to move to the capital to make ends meet. As pressures mount, Shaban is pushed to the brink.
Image: © Janis Mazuch
Everytime
Winner of this year’s prestigious Un Certain Regard award at Cannes, Sandra Wollner’s exquisite debut is a tender drama in which a mother is drawn closer to her youngest daughter and her late daughter’s boyfriend as they make sense of a shared tragedy.
Image: © The Barricades Panama Film, Gregory Oke
Man in Motion: Celebrating Rick Hansen
Coinciding with the 40th anniversary of the Man in Motion World Tour, friends from across the country will join Rick Hansen for the hometown premiere of Man in Motion: The Rick Hansen Story. Following the screening, Rick will be joining us on stage for an extended Q&A.
The Quiet Applause
This gentle, lyrical film stars Yang Hae-bom as San, an adorable toddler living in the countryside. Her life is peaceful save for the aggressive outbursts of her brother, whose autism has created tension between the parents…