Cinema that explores women in any of their roles has always had a special place in my heart. Women who are particularly struggling with something within the confines of their lives and are on the cusp of becoming a bit unhinged and racked with inner conflict is a good sweet spot. It’s one that writer-director Mary Bronstein finds in Linda (Rose Byrne), If I Had Legs I’d Kick You’s
on-edge and overwhelmed protagonist. The film boasts a career-best performance from Byrne, who’s been fantastic for years now, and she’s rightly deserving of every praise.

If I Had Legs I’d Kick You Is A Dynamic Watch

The film begins with a close-up on Linda, who’s attending a family session with her daughter’s therapist (played by Bronstein). Linda’s child claims her mother is like puddy, stretchy and always sad. Linda refutes this, but she’s doing her best to get her daughter to the goal weight to be able to remove her stomach tube. Linda, we later learn, is full of guilt. Her absent husband (Christian Slater) is always frustrated with her on the phone; she’s supposed to be responsible for their daughter while he gets to do things on his own and for himself.

Linda resents him for this and her anger pops up in most of their conversations. Generally, though, Linda is unwell. She’s barely sleeping and always drinking. People tell her whatever happened to her daughter – which remains vague – is not her fault but her actions reflect feelings that say otherwise. Linda’s life often feels like the dark, empty hole in her caved-in ceiling, which left her and her daughter living at a motel until it’s fixed.

Linda is stuck in a rut but really what she’s seeking is support; it’s something she doesn’t get from her husband or her therapist (Conan O’Brien), and even when her own therapy patient (Danielle Macdonald), who seems to be struggling with postpartum depression, asks for help, Linda is unable to give it because she needs it herself. Nobody seemed to want to listen or care, which frustrated me just as much as it did Linda.

Through Linda, we see what is constantly and consistently expected from women, and mothers specifically. Nothing Linda ever does is good enough and everyone around her, including herself, only sees what she isn’t doing. The film is meant to be darkly funny, and at times it really is, but it’s also deeply sad. Bronstein builds tension in the narrative by poking at Byrnes’ character, who gets closer and closer to losing it completely at various points in the film.

This is aided by Linda returning to her apartment multiple times, where she sees lights coming from the ceiling hole and hears all the needy voices in her life merging into one until she’s abruptly awakened. In that sense, If I Had Legs I’d Kick You becomes a bit horrific and haunting. Linda is unraveling yet sympathetic. She’s a woman who keeps throwing out a hand for support and not finding anything or anyone to steady her. She runs away from the things she can’t face, as if they haunt her because she lives with the truth daily.

The film is a viscerally emotional experience. While it’s hard to watch as she continues on a downward spiral, Linda is brave to admit truths and guilt she feels that are societally taboo. Bronstein also does something creative by not showing Linda’s daughter onscreen. This makes it easier to focus on Linda and her psychological journey, and the choice to see only glimpses of her throughout also speaks to Linda’s detachment.

To Say Rose Byrne’s Performance Is Phenomenal Would Be An Understatement

If I Had Legs I’d Kick You is an emotionally charged film and that aspect of the film is driven by Byrne’s powerhouse performance. The actress moves between exhaustion, anger, sadness, and rundown to the point of not caring with ease. Byrne peels back the layers of her character and we oscillate between wanting to hold her hand and wanting to shake her. Through it all, Byrne maintains the character’s heart. Her feelings float on a wide spectrum that made me feel a bit of everything.

Byrne’s performance is magnetic. I couldn’t look away from her, so moved was I by her portrayal; her onscreen presence is a pull that draws us in and never lets go. The final moments are the most difficult because of the rising tension. At a couple of points, I was convinced Linda would up and leave and that speaks to the wild and fleeing body language that Byrnes exhibits. Her eyes scream anxiousness, but she’s also deeply tired from a demanding life.

O’Brien and A$AP Rocky, who plays a motel guest Linda is always running into, provide some levity to the story. They also ground it, as Linda is struggling throughout. I love that the film allows us to sympathize with Linda but also shows us the side of her that is not so great, like how dismissive and stubborn she can be. It makes for a multidimensional portrayal that is anchored by an exceptional and awards-worthy Byrne.

If I Had Legs I’d Kick You is about how one woman handles the weight of her responsibilities when anxiety, guilt, and stress threaten to get the best of her. Byrne gives an unmissable performance that blew me away and Bronstein capably handles difficult subjects and discussions about motherhood and womanhood. The film can be uncomfortable and even stressful, but it is worth your time and attention.

If I Had Legs I’d Kick You premiered at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival.