A punishing, nerve-jangling mother-in-crisis drama that leans hard on performance, sound, and escalating dread. It sounds emotionally raw, formally aggressive, and likely to divide viewers, but for the right audience it should be a standout.
If I Had Legs I'd Kick You
Where to watch: Buy
Movie · Drama
Fri · 1h 53m
Director: Mary Bronstein
Starring: Rose Byrne, Conan O'Brien, A$AP Rocky
Overview
With her life crashing down around her, Linda attempts to navigate her child's mysterious illness, her absent husband, a missing person, and an increasingly hostile relationship with her therapist.
Director
Mary Bronstein
Cast
Rose Byrne, Conan O'Brien, A$AP Rocky
Curator Review
Verdict
A punishing, nerve-jangling mother-in-crisis drama that leans hard on performance, sound, and escalating dread. It sounds emotionally raw, formally aggressive, and likely to divide viewers, but for the right audience it should be a standout.
Best for
viewers who like intense psychological dramas
fans of anxiety-driven, sensory filmmaking
people drawn to maternal breakdown stories
audiences who appreciate darkly funny stress comedies
viewers seeking a strong lead performance
Skip if
you want a comforting or uplifting drama
you dislike abrasive sound design and sustained tension
you prefer clear, tidy narrative resolutions
you are sensitive to depictions of parental guilt, illness, or panic
Overview
Mary Bronstein’s film looks built to make the viewer feel trapped inside Linda’s unraveling life. The setup alone promises a pressure-cooker of illness, absence, blame, and therapy gone sour, and the response from audiences suggests the movie fully commits to that discomfort rather than softening it.
Worth noting
What stands out most is the sense of formal control around chaos: the sound design, the escalating absurdity, and the lead performance all seem designed to turn everyday domestic crisis into something almost nightmare-like. That kind of intensity can be exhausting, but it also gives the film a clear identity and a strong point of view.
Bottom line
This is the sort of movie that people may admire more than they “enjoy,” though the praise for Rose Byrne suggests there is real emotional force underneath the panic. If you like films that weaponize stress and keep you off balance, this should land hard. If you need emotional distance or narrative comfort, it will probably feel like too much.
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Themes
maternal anxiety, family breakdown, child illness, therapeutic rupture, guilt and self-blame, urban isolation, psychological stress, dark comedy
Topics
psychological drama, maternal crisis, anxiety, dark comedy, family trauma, sound design, nightmare realism, emotional intensity, indie drama, sustained tension