When Amy Adams signed up for the horror comedy Nightbitch, she probably wasn’t aware of the impression it would make on viewers. But after it premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival, the actress revealed that people have been commenting on her appearance in the movie and seemingly missed the point of her less-than-flattering look.
“I’ve had people be like, ‘Oh my gosh, you looked awful,'” Adams told Variety. “I was like, ‘You do realize that’s what I look like in my life, right?'” Written and directed by Marielle Heller, Nightbitch tells the story of a stay-at-home mom whose resistance toward domesticity and motherhood slowly causes her to turn into a dog. Despite the outrageous premise, a deeper look reveals that it serves as an allegory of motherhood and the various challenges that go with it.
Adams also talked about the upcoming Superman movie and gushed over her Man of Steel co-star Henry Cavill while offering advice to new Lois Lane actress Rachel Brosnahan. “I love her. She’s gonna be great. Hopefully the role will be infused with her sensibility and her natural humor and strength and wit,” she said. “Henry was a really brilliant Superman. I offer every Superman luck and stuff, but I think he was great. I just wanted to say that. It’s so in his spirit.”
Adams and Cavill had great chemistry as Lois Lane and Clark Kent/Superman, with the Daily Planet’s star reporter serving as the Kryptonian’s tether to reality during his rage-filled trance in Justice League. The scene in which the momentum of the story shifted proved that Lois was more than just a love interest for the superhero, but an anchor for the most powerful being on Earth who needs love and compassion to stay connected to his humanity.
Now that the Lois Lane torch has been passed, Adams is focused on Nightbitch and the freedom that came with the role. “I love the metaphor of her connecting with a more primal and feral side of herself in order to learn how to let go and be present and engaged and flexible and find her joy,” Adams said about her character. She also compared it to her personal experience as a parent. “Motherhood did redirect my priorities. And I think that changed some relationships. That was hard, but I don’t think it’s uncommon,” the actress explained.
According to Adams, she would have been too insecure to sign up for a project as wild as Nightbitch earlier in her career. But since she’s become more comfortable with herself, it was the right time to try something different. Despite the performance being (arguably) Adams’ best work, the movie still received a mixed reaction from those who’ve seen it. The biggest complaint was that the story came across as a jumble of ideas. Those who enjoyed the movie mostly loved its feminist themes.
Based on Rachel Yoder’s 2021 novel of the same name, Nightbitch also stars Scoot McNairy, Arleigh Snowden, Emmett Snowden, Zoë Chao, Mary Holland, Ella Thomas, Archana Rajan, and Jessica Harper. The movie will hit theaters on Dec. 6, 2024.
