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Nightbitch film image; woman jogging at night with four dogs

“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.

Director
Cast

Amy Adams, Scoot McNairy, Arleigh Patrick Snowden, Emmett James Snowden, Zoë Chao, Mary Holland

Credits
Country of Origin

USA

Year

2024

Langauge

English

19+
98 min
Drama Horror & Sci-Fi Women Directors
Searchlight Pictures, Annapurna Pictures, Archer Gray, Defiant By Nature, Bond Group Entertainment

Book Tickets

Sunday October 06

6:15 pm
Hearing Assistance
The Rio Theatre
Book Now

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

VIFF Logo

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)

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