🎭If I Had Legs I’d Kick You (2025) Movie Review — A Twisted, Tender Dive Into Motherhood, Madness & Self-Discovery

Boxofficehype
Oct 18
4 min read

“If I Had Legs I'd Kick You” (2025) isn’t your average A24 film — it’s a surreal, darkly funny, and deeply human exploration of the mind breaking under pressure. Written and directed by Mary Bronstein, this psychological comedy-drama premiered at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival and later earned Rose Byrne the Silver Bear for Best Leading Performance at the Berlin International Film Festival.

Released theatrically by A24 on October 10, 2025, the film takes audiences into the fragmented psyche of a woman trying to hold everything — and everyone — together, even as her world crumbles around her.

❄️ The Story – Between Reality and Breakdown

“Some things break before they bend.”

That line from Linda (Rose Byrne) encapsulates the heart of If I Had Legs I’d Kick You. Byrne plays Linda, a therapist who’s losing her grip on her own sanity while caring for her mysteriously ill daughter — a child whose face is never shown, making her more symbol than person.

After the ceiling of their Montauk apartment collapses, Linda and her daughter move into a shabby seaside motel. With her husband (Christian Slater) absent and emotionally unavailable, Linda juggles her crumbling career, her daughter’s illness, and her own suppressed despair.

Her clients — like Caroline (Danielle Macdonald), a mother who abandons her newborn mid-session — mirror Linda’s own collapse. Even her therapist, played with biting dryness by Conan O’Brien, offers little solace.

The motel becomes a metaphorical purgatory — a place of decay, addiction, and fleeting connection. There, Linda meets James (A$AP Rocky), a chaotic yet kind motel superintendent who becomes her strange emotional anchor. Together, they drift through a haze of self-destruction and misplaced tenderness.

💫 Performances – Rose Byrne’s Career-Defining Role

Rose Byrne has always been versatile — from Bridesmaids to Physical — but this performance feels like a revelation. She channels grief, exhaustion, and absurd humor in a way that feels raw and real.

Her breakdown isn’t loud — it’s quiet, shaking, beautifully human.

Byrne’s performance is elevated by Mary Bronstein’s uncompromising direction, which blends realism with surreal nightmare logic. Scenes often linger too long, sounds distort, and the camera refuses to look away when Linda does.

A$AP Rocky brings unexpected heart to his role as James — a wounded soul who finds fragments of hope in Linda’s brokenness. And Conan O’Brien, in an against-type role, perfectly captures the apathy of modern therapy.

🎬 Direction & Style – The A24 Fever Dream

Like many A24 films, If I Had Legs I’d Kick You blurs genre lines. It’s darkly funny, horrifyingly sad, and at times absurdly relatable.

Mary Bronstein crafts the film as a “fever dream of parenthood and pressure.” The cinematography by Christopher Messina captures the claustrophobia of suburban and motel life, while Lucian Johnston’s editing lets the chaos breathe in jagged rhythms.

At its core, the film asks: What happens when the person who helps everyone else has no one to save her?

🍿 Critical Reception

The film has received universal acclaim from critics.

Rotten Tomatoes: 95% (Average Rating: 8.0/10)
Metacritic: 79/100 (“Generally Favorable Reviews”)

Critics called it:

“A fever dream immersion into parental stress that connects with thunderous force thanks to Rose Byrne’s gutsy star turn.”

The film grossed $136,619 in limited release — modest numbers for A24, but strong for a psychological indie drama.

🧠 Themes – The Psychology of Exhaustion

If I Had Legs I’d Kick You dives deep into the mental and emotional exhaustion of caretaking — especially the invisible weight carried by mothers.

Linda’s daughter’s facelessness becomes a haunting symbol of all-consuming responsibility — a child who’s present but never truly seen.

The film explores:

The invisible labor of women
The crumbling façade of emotional stability
The blur between therapy and survival
And the quiet violence of emotional neglect

As Linda says at one point:

“Everyone wants me to listen, but no one wants to hear me.”

🧊 Verdict – Brutal, Beautiful, and Unforgettable

This isn’t an easy watch — it’s a mirror. A distorted one, but an honest reflection of burnout, love, and the unbearable weight of trying to stay strong.

Mary Bronstein and A24 have delivered another masterstroke of emotional horror and human absurdity, powered by Rose Byrne’s fearless performance.

⭐ Rating: 9/10A haunting, darkly funny, and painfully truthful masterpiece.

📅 Release Details

Director: Mary Bronstein
Cast: Rose Byrne, Conan O’Brien, Danielle Macdonald, Christian Slater, A$AP Rocky
Produced by: A24
Runtime: 114 minutes
U.S. Release Date: October 10, 2025
Streaming: Coming soon to Max and A24+ Digital

❓ FAQs About If I Had Legs I’d Kick You

Q1. Where can I watch If I Had Legs I’d Kick You?

The film was released in select U.S. theaters by A24 on October 10, 2025. It will soon stream on Max and A24+ Digital.

Q2. Is this movie connected to any real-life events?

While fictional, Mary Bronstein drew inspiration from her experiences as a therapist and the emotional toll of caregiving.

Q3. Why is the daughter’s face never shown?

It’s a deliberate artistic choice symbolizing emotional distance and the loss of identity in caretaking roles.

Q4. How is the ending interpreted?

Without spoiling, the ending suggests release — not necessarily healing, but acceptance of chaos.

Q5. Is the film worth watching?

Absolutely. If you loved films like Hereditary, TÁR, or A Woman Under the Influence, this A24 gem is a must-see.

🌙 Final Thoughts

If I Had Legs I’d Kick You is a haunting dance between empathy and exhaustion — a film that doesn’t offer comfort but asks you to sit with discomfort. It’s A24 at its best: messy, poetic, and profoundly human.