'Nightbitch' Movie Is For All The Non-Moms

Nightbitch. How do I even start?

If you are a mom and you've seen the trailer, the storyline might put you off. When I first watched the first 30 minutes, I told my husband, "I'm watching this movie. It's about a stay-at-home mom who turns into a dog." I couldn't even continue explaining. It feels too much. No, motherhood isn't that wild.

Nightbitch (2024) Movie Review

But when I finished the movie starring Academy Award Nominee Amy Adams, I realized that every element had to be there. It was so accurate, even the growling, the primal energy, and the running into the woods—it wasn't an exaggeration. It was real talk. It was the truth that we rarely discuss because the moment we even think about talking about it, shame creeps in. Are stay-at-home moms complaining about the life they have? Others are struggling to conceive, working far from their families—why would they dare feel frustrated about staying home with their child while their husbands leave for work? Isn't this the dream? 

Okay, that paragraph may put you off, too. But if you're still here, I tell you: Nightbitch is an eye-opener. Yes, it should come with a trigger warning for us moms. It will remind you of the early days of parenthood that stretched into months, then years. It will remind you of the feeling of losing your identity. It will force you to confront all you've felt you've lost. I suggest moms with big kids can skip this. When I watched it, all I could think of was: I wish I had seen this when I struggled as a first-time mom. Surprisingly, the movie had all the answers I needed back then.

Recommended for non-moms, spouses, and adult kids

I recommend this film for moms with little children and for our spouses, non-mom friends, and adult children. Let them watch it while you, Mama, go out for a mani-pedi. Let them take it all in, while you, Mama, hang out with your friends. Let them gather in the living room on a weekend, the lights dim, and with overflowing snacks. Let them focus on every scene, and turn on the subtitles. Then, ask them for their thoughts. Let them understand the movie. Let them feel it.

The movie is exaggerated for a reason—if it weren't, no one would talk about it or write reviews about it. In IMDB, viewers rated the film 5.6/10 because maybe it's just disturbing. The title had to be bold or else it would get buried in the endless stream of Disney+ content. The tagline, Motherhood is a bitch, had to be that blunt, or else it wouldn't catch your attention.

^{Amy Adams plays the role of a mother of a toddler boy in Nightbitch (2024). Here, she wonders why dogs were drawn to her.}

Some viewers have said that the first few minutes feel 'anti-motherhood.' Others say it's a depiction of a mom going through postpartum depression. Watch the entire film, and be the judge. It takes you into the lonely, daily grind of a mom who used to be a fantastic artist and agreed to stay home to care for her child without reading the fine print. It takes you into the daydreams of a mom whose best days feel like a distant memory, locked in the "before times," with no apparent U-turn ahead. 

In a few words, Nightbitch is a good movie for people who will never fully understand the seismic shift of becoming a mother. From the good 'ol before times to suddenly being responsible for another human being while trying to hold onto yourself, be a good wife, and not lose your mind.

The takeaways

It drives the point that for a mom to feel, at the very least, okay, she needs basic, attainable things: a peaceful morning run, a real conversation with an adult after a whole day of toddler talk, an hour to watch that stand-up comedy that's been in the 'Continue watching' tab for God knows how long.

Are moms asking for too much if they ask for a vacation they didn't plan, a night out with their friends, or a day off without guilt? These things are nothing compared to childbirth, but why do moms find these things so hard to ask for?

Because moms know that the moment they ask, they'll get judgment, gaslighting, shame, and guilt instead. So they don't bother asking again. They tell themselves: Wait until the baby starts solids. Just wait until they start school. Just wait. They say it all happens so fast and we'll miss this, so we're expected to endure the exhaustion, the loneliness, the unshowered days, the self-neglect, so wait.

The thing is, moms need a little help to do what we have to do. And Nightbitch reminds us of that. We need to communicate our needs. We need to insist on our joy. We need to remember that we are powerful.

It's easy to lose yourself in the humdrum of motherhood, especially when your own husband is the first one to clip your wings. Nightbitch reminds us: Take up space. Go for that run. Pick up that paintbrush. Heck, buy that concert ticket. Have fun.

Motherhood is brutal, as the movie says. So why is it so hard to ask for a few minutes to shower? Why is it so hard to ask for a few hours to reconnect with friends? Why is it so hard for us to speak up? It doesn't make us less of a mother. But when you're in the thick of it, sometimes, you need a movie like this to shake you. That, Hey, you don't have to do it all alone. Parenting is a partnership, and it takes two, even a village. 

A little breathing room could change everything. If only moms knew that they deserved to take breaks and could take breaks, then maybe no mom would suffer in silence. If only moms knew their struggles were valid, then perhaps no mom would think of running away like a dog and never looking back.

It starts with awareness, and this movie is a good place to start. It takes just an hour and a half of your time to watch, and many lives will change. Watch it. For yourself, and for me, too.

Watch the trailer here:

'Nightbitch' is now streaming on Disney Plus.

Judy Aladin is a section editor of Smart Parenting. Previously, she was a communications lead in a non-profit organization, mounting nationwide events and traveling the country. She was diagnosed with postpartum depression in 2021. She has a five-year-old daughter, and a five-month-old son.