01/09/2025
"Nightbitch": A movie I can relate to as a mom.
Lately, as Iโve been trying to wean my one-year-old and figuring out how to tackle her sleep, Iโve had moments of feeling a little alone, to be honest. One night, while my husband was already sound asleep and I was up with my daughter, I decided to turn on "Nightbitch" on Hulu. I wasnโt prepared for how much Iโd relate to parts of it.
The movie opens with a mom and her child at the grocery store, where she runs into an old coworker. It's the one who swooped in and took her job after she left to have her baby. Again, relatable. This woman innocently asks, โAre you enjoying staying at home? Isnโt it great?โ
The mom's inner monologue goes into a full-blown, brutally honest rant about how motherhood has turned her into a perpetually tired, sometimes angry version of herself. She wonders if she'll ever be thin again. Then, like any mom caught in public, she snaps back to reality, plasters on a smile, and responds, โI love it. I love being a mom.โ
๐จ๐๐
๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐, ๐ฐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐.
For the first half hour, I was laughing my butt off. But then . . . well, letโs just say the movie took a turn. A weird one. But thatโs not the part Iโm here to talk about.
Like the mom in the movie, I say it all the time: I love being a mom. And I do. But if someone dared to scratch the surface, theyโd probably get a TED Talk on how I wonder if Iโll ever sleep for eight uninterrupted hours again or if my personality is just "mom who packs snacks" now.
The movieโs montage of her life? ๐ฆ๐ฃ๐ข๐ง ๐ข๐ก. Making the same meals over and over. Pancakes or waffles in the morning. Mac and cheese at lunch. Repeat. I was like, "Oh gosh, it's me!" My favorite part was her using her wooden spoon to mix the mac and cheese and she takes this huge spoonful bite of the mac. Sounds about right!
Then thereโs the scene where she walks into a library for storytime (or "Book Babies" as they call it in the movie). Now, in the film, sheโs totally over it. She is not connecting with the other moms, feeling out of place, wishing she could evaporate. I didnโt vibe with that part as much. I mean, shoutout to my Boise Mom Club tribe! I found my people, and I love the community.
But I get it. That awkward feeling of . . . shouldnโt we have more in common than just kids? Itโs real.
Then her kid drops an obscenity. Letโs just call it "duck" for the sake of politeness. She spirals into thinking sheโs the worst mom ever. Thankfully, I havenโt hit this milestone yet (knocking on all the wood), but Iโm prepared for the day it happens.
๐ ๐บ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ป, ๐๐ผ๐ฑ๐ฑ๐น๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐น๐ถ๐ธ๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ฏ๐น๐ฒ ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฟ๐ผ๐๐ ๐๐ถ๐๐ต ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ผ ๐ณ๐ถ๐น๐๐ฒ๐ฟ. ๐ฌ๐ผ๐ ๐ธ๐ป๐ผ๐ ๐ถ๐โ๐ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐บ๐ถ๐ป๐ด.
Later, thereโs a scene where sheโs trying to get her kid to sleep. Sheโs muttering about how she should have listened to those parenting books that said "drowsy but awake." Same, girl. Same.
At this point, the movieโs relatability starts slipping. My daughter decided she finally wanted to fall asleep, and I turned it off to get some shut eye for myself.
But, the first chunk of "Nightbitch" was so relatable. It made me realize I'm not alone. Motherhood is wild, exhausting, and messy, but weโre all doing our best. Whether youโre wondering if youโll ever feel like yourself again or surviving on a meal rotation of carbs and caffeine, youโre not alone.
So, if youโre in the trenches of parenthood and need a laugh (and donโt mind things getting weird), give "Nightbitch" a watch. And remember, whatever your motherhood journey looks like, youโre doing great. Even if your kid learns to say "duck" at the worst possible moment.
--Jaclyn Burns
