Direction: Mary Bronstein
Country: USA
There is much to admire in If I Had Legs I’d Kick You, a dark comedy steeped in irony about a sleep-deprived psychotherapist spiraling under the weight of alcohol, drugs, and emotional distress. An absent husband who works as a ship captain, a gravely ill daughter undergoing a demanding and complicated treatment, and a gaping hole in her apartment ceiling conspire to make Linda’s life increasingly unmanageable. Played with ferocious commitment by Rose Byrne, Linda is forced to relocate temporarily to a nondescript motel, a move that only sharpens her emotional volatility and neglectful tendencies.
The film’s inventive situations consistently land with force, sustaining an impressive level of engagement throughout. On one hand, the tone is bleak and disconsolate; on the other, it is hyper-tense, wildly unhinged, and unexpectedly fun to watch. There is a fearless energy to this plunge into the abyss, offering moments of audacity that far more expensive productions would envy.
Though the narrative itself is relatively straightforward, the execution is anything but. Writer-director Mary Bronstein’s vision is bleak, provocative, and uncompromising, yet remarkably assured. Through an intelligent and cathartic orchestration of anxieties, she dissects toxic routines, irresponsibility, and emotional neglect, anchoring the film in themes of female rage, psychological unraveling, and the isolating realities of motherhood.
Often associated with lighter, forgettable comedies such as Spy (2015) or Bridesmaids (2011), Rose Byrne seizes the opportunity to reveal a far more daring and commanding range. She is riveting from beginning to end, fully inhabiting a character whose volatility feels both frightening and painfully real. Fueled by a sharp, bubbling script, If I Had Legs I’d Kick You bursts with flavors that unsettle, delight, and excite. It is an ambitious, ultimately fascinating mess that feels raw and authentic, slowly working its way under your skin. Viewers drawn to pungent, psychologically offbeat dramas will find much to savor in this fluid, slightly bruised, irresistibly skewed, and deliciously nightmarish experience.
