Nightwing

A rare blend of creature feature and Native American folklore that uses practical effects to unsettle rather than overwhelm.

• Early work from director Arthur Hiller, showing a mainstream studio flirting with eco-horror themes before they were trendy.
• Killer bats rendered with a mix of animatronics and on-location desert shots deliver a tangible menace missing from many CG-reliant counterparts.
• A unique setting on an Arizona reservation foregrounds indigenous concerns layered beneath the monster chase, a precursor to later folk horror’s cultural reckonings.
• Not flawless—some pacing lags and period TV-movie aesthetics—but a must-see for fans of ’70s genre experiments and practical creature effects.