Prepare for a cinematic shockwave as Nightbitch, starring Amy Adams, hits theaters tomorrow. Based on Rachel Yoder‘s genre-defying novel, this bold and unsettling film explores motherhood as a mythical transformation that’s both captivating and unnerving. A blend of horror, satire, and brutal honesty, Nightbitch tears through the polished facade of domestic life to uncover the primal undercurrents of identity, desire, and survival. It’s a fearless look at losing yourself in the chaos of motherhood — and finding a wilder, unexpected self in the process.
If you’re drawn to narratives that subvert the familiar, push boundaries, and delve into the primal and the profound, you’ll find these books echo the fierce, unconventional spirit of Nightbitch. Each story centers on women confronting their inner struggles and slowly unraveling under the weight of societal, personal, or supernatural expectations. These protagonists navigate themes of isolation, transformation, and the search for self-liberation, revealing raw and often unsettling truths about identity, passion, and the human experience. Prepare for works that challenge, disturb, and captivate in equal measure.
Motherthing by Ainslie Hogarth
A darkly comedic horror story, Motherthing by Ainslie Hogarth tells the tale of Abby Lamb who is desperate for connection as she moves in with her cruel mother-in-law, Laura, hoping to mend the strained bonds in her life. But when Laura’s suicide unleashes a vengeful spirit, Abby must confront the ghost’s torment as it pushes her husband, Ralph, into despair and threatens everything she loves. With the added threat of losing Mrs. Bondy, the elderly resident Abby cares for at work, she devises a daring plan that requires ingenuity and determination to break the ghost’s hold and save her family once and for all — if she can summon the courage to follow through.
Big Swiss by Jen Beagin
Jen Beagin’s Big Swiss invites readers into Greta’s world, where she lives in an old, drafty Dutch farmhouse in Hudson, New York, with her friend Sabine. The house is alive with creaks and bees that hum like forgotten secrets. By day, Greta transcribes therapy sessions for Om, a sex coach with a mysterious air. Everything changes when she hears the voice of his newest client, a married woman she calls Big Swiss. When their paths cross, an electric connection draws Greta into a relationship unlike anything she’s known. But Greta has a secret — she’s already eavesdropped on Big Swiss’s private moments. As attraction deepens, guilt is drowned out by her desperate need to hold on to this raw, intoxicating bond. Greta is willing to blur the lines between right and wrong to keep Big Swiss in her life.
Sorrow and Bliss by Meg Mason
Sorrow and Bliss by Meg Mason revolves around Martha, a woman haunted by a sense that something is deeply wrong with her, though she can’t quite name it. Her husband, Patrick, insists she’s fine, brushing off her unease with the belief that everyone carries their own burden, and the key is simply to keep moving forward. Martha once told Patrick she didn’t want children, and he assured her it was fine, because he loved her fiercely, having been captivated by her since he was fourteen. But love, it turns out, isn’t enough to fill the gaps between them. When Martha finally uncovers the truth about herself, it feels like too little, too late — her long-held dream slipping through her fingers. Yet, maybe, just maybe, there’s a path forward: a chance to unlearn love, to begin anew, and to find what she truly desires, if she dares to seek it.
Earthlings by Sayaka Murata
What if being different meant the only way to survive was to pretend you weren’t? In Earthlings by Sayaka Murata, Natsuki has always felt out of place, clinging to her wand and transformation mirror as symbols of her otherworldliness. Summers spent in the wild Nagano mountains with her cousin Yuu were filled with dreams of escape, but when life’s cruel twists threaten to tear them apart, they vow to survive at any cost. Years later, Natsuki’s quiet life with her asexual husband is shattered by her family’s relentless questions and the haunting echoes of her past. Desperate for freedom, she flees the suburbs and returns to the mountains where hope once sparkled, wondering if Yuu will remember their pact and help her reclaim the life they once dreamed of.
Mothered by Zoje Stage
In Mothered by Zoje Stage, Grace’s already fragile world unravels when her newly widowed mother, Jackie, moves in, shattering the boundaries Grace fought to maintain. Initially hoping for a chance to reconnect during the pandemic’s isolation, Grace quickly realizes the decision has unleashed chaos. Haunted by nightmares of her deceased twin sister and tormented by Jackie’s discovery of her secret online alter-ego, Grace spirals into paranoia as old wounds reopen and new threats emerge. With reality slipping through her fingers, Grace must confront not only the shadows of her past but the chilling, ever-encroaching presence of her mother.
Ripe by Sarah Rose Etter
In Ripe by Sarah Rose Etter, Cassie’s dream job in Silicon Valley devolves into a waking nightmare as long hours, a toxic culture, and unethical projects erode her spirit. Behind the city’s polished facade, privilege thrives while the unhoused suffer, and burnout leaves a trail of destruction. Cassie’s path is haunted by a growing, enigmatic black hole that mirrors her unraveling, a reminder of her solitude. When a shocking discovery — her illegal pregnancy — pushes her to the brink, she faces a choice: cling to the hollow promises of success or break free and reclaim herself. Ripe is a sharp, darkly humorous tale of survival and self-discovery, examining the true cost of ambition and the courage needed to rise from its wreckage.
My Husband by Maud Ventura
In My Husband by Maud Ventura, we follow the life of a sophisticated French woman whose relentless devotion to her seemingly perfect husband takes a dark turn. At forty, she has it all — a successful career, beauty, a lovely home, and two healthy children — but her heart belongs to her husband of fifteen years. Obsessed with their relationship’s perfection, she meticulously orchestrates every interaction, testing his love and punishing his every misstep to keep him faithful. But as her schemes grow bolder, she begins to wonder if her love is enough — or if it has pushed them both to the brink. My Husband delivers a darkly funny, compelling, and unforgettable story that asks: how well can you truly know the one you love?
