Over the years, there have been many films that have gone headfirst into the struggles of parenthood and being a mother. Just last year, Marielle Heller's Nightbitch took those themes and submerged them in the realms of horror and comedy. This year, Mary Bronstein has aimed for something similar with her brilliantly titled new film, If I Had Legs I'd Kick You.

The film follows a mother named Linda whose life is on a cliff edge as she attempts to navigate her daughter's mysterious illness, her absent husband, a missing person, and a relationship with her therapist that is growing more hostile with each passing day.

Cutting straight to the point, If I Had Legs I'd Kick You is easily one of the most stressful cinematic experiences of the entire year. Bronstein opts for the Uncut Gems approach to storytelling by making every possible situation Linda finds herself in the most anxiety-inducing moment of her life. Any respite or breathing room that appears is short-lived as things progressively get worse, either due to other people's insecurities or her own bad choices.

The consistent paranoia is incredibly well handled here, sometimes to a fault. The filmmaking on display, as well as the performances, match the chaotic tone the film is going for, but on many occasions, the stress of it all can be a bit too much for even the film itself to cope with. There is plenty of dark humour to keep scenes afloat, giving a bit of levity to proceedings when needed, but the addition of surreal visuals and horror undertones, though well executed, can feel very overpowering in the moment.

This specific approach isn't anything new and, as previously mentioned, is well done, but it may throw some audience off in the long as, for the most part, this film is being marketed as a comedy drama. The horror elements, quite literally, come out of nowhere and resurface from time to time, only to confuse Linda more than she already is. It's definitely worth admiring Bronstein for the bold swings she takes with this film, but whether those risks pay off will differ from person to person.

Sometimes, simple ideas within the film are funny or tense on their own, needing little else to make their point heard. For instance, the mere thought of Linda herself being a therapist despite not being able to deal with any of her own problems is hilarious, and Bronstein knows just the right moments when to play on this idea and let it breathe. However, there are other examples where more exploration could have been done into a singular thought or, on the other end of the spectrum, too much is asked of a concept that needs more time to come to fruition.

A lot of the film is thankfully held together by Rose Byrne's incredible lead performance. Instability, vulnerability, brutal honesty and a pinch of insanity are all somehow crammed into this powerhouse turn from Byrne. At times, she helps push the chaos of scenes to new heights, and in other scenes, she can show a glimpse behind the curtain that is Linda, making the audience sympathise with her despite all the horrible things she chooses to do and carries on doing. All of this is so effortlessly balanced whilst injecting that slightly awkward, but perfectly pitched style of comedy that Byrne is known for.

The supporting cast also does their bit to leave their mark and do a pretty good job at it as well. There's Conan O'Brien, who works wonders as Linda's fed-up therapist, A$AP Rocky, who tries and fails to add a bit of calm to Linda's life, and there is also Danielle Macdonald playing a mother who is just a morally confused and scatterbrained as Linda is, if not worse.

If I Had Legs I'd Kick You is a relentlessly chaotic film that pushes the anxiety of motherhood and bad parenting to the absolute limit. If not for some genuinely funny moments and a career-best performance from Rose Byrne, the rest of this film could have very easily crumbled under its own weight.

If I Had Legs I'd Kick You screened as part of the Thrill strand at the London Film Festival 2025