A marked absence at last year’s fall fests was Marielle Heller’s “Nightbitch,” starring Amy Adams. What was even murkier were Searchlight's release plans for the film. Three years ago, they spent $25 million in a competitive bidding war for “Nightbitch” only to then have the film completely disappear from our radar.
“Nightbitch,” which wrapped production in November 2022, was originally set as a streaming-only release on HULU, but last month Searchlight decided to give it a December 6, 2024, theatrical date.
A press release now has that the film set to world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival in September. This means no Venice or Telluride for “Nightbitch”
The TIFF setup is meant as a way for Adams to premiere her film at the festival and also pick up their annual TIFF Tribute Performer Award at a ceremony that’s set up to take place on September 10th.
The “Nightbitch” plot is total dark absurdism. A “neo-horror thriller” starring Adams as an overworked woman who is convinced that she's, quite literally, turning into a dog. It sounds like the kind of idiosyncratic film that deserves to be seen, but is it any good? That December date does hint at awards potential.
Heller’s debut was Sundance sensation “The Diary of a Teenage Girl.” This was followed by the critically-acclaimed “Can You Ever Forgive Me.” She then dabbled into mainstream filmmaking with the mostly enjoyable “A Beautiful Day in the Neighbourhood.”
Adams, a six-time Oscar nominee, is a great actress. There’s no reason to doubt that she’ll again deliver the goods in “Nightbitch.”