A film deserves better than to be judged by its choice of title. But considering Nightbitch, an adaptation of Rachel Yoder’s 2021 novel, is quite literally about a stay-at-home mum convinced she’s turning into a dog, it seems fair to ask for a little wildness, a little bite. Nightbitch is as tame as can be.
And this is surprising, considering its director Marielle Heller has already made two refreshingly thorny stories, The Diary of a Teenage Girl (2015) and Can You Ever Forgive Me? (2018) – both about female characters claiming their space in the world, even if their paths veer towards self-obliteration.
