Hollywood Records’The Big Scoreseries continues to pull back the curtain on the world of film scoring with a new episode aboutNightbitch.Based on the 2021 novel of the same name by Rachel Yoder,Nightbitchis a dark comedy that tells the story of a stay-at-home mom who finds herself turning into a dog as she faces the pressures and demands of motherhood. The movie stars Amy Adams as Mother and features a cast including Scoot McNairy as Husband, Arleigh and Emmett Snowden as Son, and Zoë Chao as Jen.
ScreenRantis happy to offer a first look at the latest episode of theThe Big Score, diving into the musical process ofNightbitchcomposer Nate Heller. Heller is the brother ofNightbitchdirector Marielle Heller, and the pair have collaborated on a number of projects in the past, including 2019’s Mr. Rogers biopicA Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood. Learn about how the Hellers’ collaboration works, how the tone of the music forNightbitchwas determined, and more by watchingThe Big Scorebelow.
Why Nate Heller’s Musical Choices Were Key For Nightbitch
ScreenRant’sNightbitchreviewmentions the different genres the movie toys with at times, and as the composer, Heller had to navigate tonal shifts without taking audiences out of the story. As described in the video above, Heller relied on a jazzy, piano-driven feel to complement the sentimentality and humor of the movie, which is evident inNightbitchsoundtrack entries like “Watching Garbage Trucks” and “Fingerpainting” (the soundtrack is out now on digital platforms). Heller was also able to use this as a base for his score without going too far into the territory of telling an audience how to feel.
WhenScreenRantinterviewed Amy Adamsand otherNightbitchfilmmakers, the idea of transformation was an important topic of conversation. Heller also found a perfect way to put the audience in Mother’s shoes during those scenes thanks to his use of human body sounds. The soundscape he created for tracks like “Something to Wag” certainly amplify the movie’s jaunts into body horror as Mother begins to turn into a dog.
Heller also enlisted songwriter and performer King Isis to contribute vocals to the project. King Isis’ voice can be heard in many cues throughout the film, and is especially highlighted during theNightbitchendingwith “Summer Blue (End Credits)”. Their vocals feel at times like an extension of Mother’s own emotions, helping to ground the story in that character’s unique perspective.
Nightbitchstreams on Hulu starting December 27.Nightbitch(Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) is out on streaming platforms now.
Nightbitch
Cast
A suburban mother struggles with the isolation of stay-at-home life while raising her young son. As she begins to embrace her primal instincts, she experiences strange transformations, leading her to question whether she’s losing her mind or becoming something altogether different—something feral and dangerous.
