---
title: "If I Had Legs I'd Kick You"
year: 2025
kind: "film"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/if-i-had-legs-id-kick-you"
fi1m_id: "if-i-had-legs-id-kick-you"
imdb_id: "tt18382850"
tmdb_id: 1160360
wikidata_id: "Q124450734"
fi1m_score: 78
critics_score: 75
critics_reviews: 22
published: "2026-10-03T04:00:04.507598+00:00"
updated: "2026-10-03T04:00:05.133120+00:00"
region: "AU"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# If I Had Legs I'd Kick You (2025)

Directed by Mary Bronstein · 1h 53m · ACB M · Drama

## Identity

If I Had Legs I'd Kick You

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/film/if-i-had-legs-id-kick-you
- **Type:** Film
- **Fi1m ID:** if-i-had-legs-id-kick-you
- **IMDb ID:** tt18382850
- **TMDB ID:** 1160360
- **Wikidata ID:** Q124450734
- **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt18382850/, https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/1160360, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q124450734

**Fi1m score: 78** · Critics 75 from 22 reviews

*In a sentence:* Rose Byrne looks as though one more offer of help might qualify as a threat

> Rose Byrne is painfully convincing in Mary Bronstein’s abrasive drama about maternal exhaustion. Its constant pressure can wear us down, but Linda’s anger and resistance to help make this worth watching if an anxious evening appeals.

## Synopsis

Linda (Rose Byrne) is an exhausted mother struggling to cope and reluctant to accept help. Her daughter (Delaney Quinn, credited as Child) stays outside the frame while Linda’s distress occupies it. Conan O’Brien plays the Therapist in a story that stays close to a parent whose anger and needs are becoming difficult to contain. Linda wants some relief from the demands of motherhood, but her own resistance makes support difficult. The film follows her increasingly strained experience, with little distance from her face and little room for another person’s view of what she is going through.

## Review

*If I Had Legs I’d Kick You* gives an exhausted mother little room to compose herself and gives us scarcely any more. Mary Bronstein, who writes and directs, stays with Linda’s anger, distress and reluctance to accept help without trying to make each response reasonable. We think it is a good, punishing film, sustained by Rose Byrne even when the relentless pressure begins to feel repetitive. Anyone looking for a consoling account of parenthood should know that Linda is allowed to be selfish, and that the film does not hurry to apologise for her.

Rose Byrne is convincing because she does not make Linda’s suffering an excuse for everything. Her resistance to help can be maddening, and the performance lets that remain so even while making her exhaustion believable. The bitter humour works because Linda is allowed to be difficult without immediately becoming a joke at her own expense. We are not being asked to certify her as a good mother before we can take her distress seriously.

Christopher Messina’s close-ups are central to that discomfort. We felt trapped by the attention to Linda’s strained face, particularly when the frame denied us the relief of looking at anyone else. Keeping her daughter offscreen makes that restriction more pointed: the person needing care is not available to redirect our sympathy whenever Linda becomes abrasive. The sound is oppressive too, leaving little sense of quiet beyond what we can see. It is an effective use of techniques associated with horror, even though the subject is a mother’s exhaustion.

Lucian Johnston’s editing keeps the pressure fairly constant, which is useful and eventually wearing. There are stretches when we have understood Linda’s agitation but are still being asked to sit inside it without learning much more about her. At 113 minutes, the film has time to develop that feeling beyond its first impact, yet too often chooses simply to sustain it. A little more variation would have made the difficult stretches harder to dismiss as repetition.

The more surreal passages bring a related problem. Carmen Navis’s production design contributes to the oppressive surroundings, but the close framing already does much of that work. The stranger imagery can feel unnecessary when a face has communicated the distress so clearly. We found ourselves wanting more time to consider Linda’s behaviour, rather than another reason to feel hemmed in by the film.

Within the family drama, it is welcome to find a mother whose unpleasant feelings are taken seriously without being made attractive. The film does not need its more conspicuous oddities to hold our attention, because the performance gives us enough to disagree with and enough to recognise. That is why we recommend it despite the stretches when the pressure stops producing much beyond more pressure. Choose it for Rose Byrne, but leave it for another evening if patience is already in short supply.

*Fi1m score 78, published 3 October 2026.*

## What the critics say

Most critics respond positively to this punishing portrait of maternal distress, with Rose Byrne’s performance drawing the clearest agreement. The reviews repeatedly praise her ability to convey exhaustion, anger and grim humour without softening Linda’s difficult behaviour. Praise also centres on the claustrophobic close-ups, oppressive sound and surreal atmosphere, which make her anxiety hard to escape. For the most enthusiastic critics, the film’s black comedy makes its depiction of parental strain both unsettling and painfully funny.

The reservations concern how long that pressure can remain productive. Several critics find the sustained anxiety exhausting, even while admiring its impact, and responses range from enthusiastic praise to mixed assessments, with none categorised as negative. /Film finds that the surreal passages do not always fit smoothly with the rest; Vulture considers the film compelling but unfinished and uncertain where to go next. Byrne remains widely admired across that divide.

## Straight answers

**Is If I Had Legs I'd Kick You worth watching?**

*If I Had Legs I'd Kick You* is worth watching for Rose Byrne’s painfully convincing portrayal of maternal exhaustion, and we score it 78 out of 100. We recommend this abrasive drama if an anxious evening appeals, though its constant pressure becomes repetitive and offers little comfort to anyone already short of patience.

**How long is If I Had Legs I'd Kick You, and what is it rated?**

*If I Had Legs I'd Kick You* runs 1h 53m and is rated M by the ACB in Australia. It is a drama film.

**Where can I watch If I Had Legs I'd Kick You in Australia?**

*If I Had Legs I'd Kick You* is streaming on Stan in Australia, and it is also available to rent from Amazon Prime Video from A$2.99. Availability is checked daily; the links above go straight to each service.

**How violent or frightening is If I Had Legs I'd Kick You, and is it suitable for children?**

*If I Had Legs I'd Kick You* has a UK 15 certificate and is unsuitable for children under 15; we find its oppressive atmosphere emotionally punishing. Close-ups of Linda’s strained face, oppressive sound and techniques associated with horror make parental exhaustion feel frightening, so even older teenagers and adults may find it wearing if they are sensitive to sustained distress.

**How does If I Had Legs I'd Kick You compare to A Woman Under the Influence?**

*If I Had Legs I'd Kick You* is a similarly rewarding but wearing family drama to [*A Woman Under the Influence*](https://film.one/film/a-woman-under-the-influence), with both allowing a woman contradictory, uncomfortable feelings. We recommend the former for its close attention to Rose Byrne’s exhausted mother, and the latter for Gena Rowlands and Peter Falk together. Both depend on their performances to justify stretches when distress becomes repetitive.

**What should I watch after If I Had Legs I'd Kick You?**

After *If I Had Legs I'd Kick You*, try [*A Woman Under the Influence*](https://film.one/film/a-woman-under-the-influence) (1974, Fi1m 86): Another difficult family portrait carried by a woman allowed contradictory, uncomfortable feelings. Then [*The Babadook*](https://film.one/film/the-babadook) (2014, Fi1m 86): Maternal exhaustion becomes horror, with anger that cannot simply be wished away; and [*Jeanne Dielman, 23 quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles*](https://film.one/film/jeanne-dielman-23-quai-du-commerce-1080-bruxelles) (1975, Fi1m 72): Domestic routine receives patient attention until its small demands become almost unbearable.

### Reviews we read (22)

- **Time Out**, Stephen A Russell (5/5): The review praises the film as an intense, blackly funny rollercoaster of motherhood. It singles out Rose Byrne’s performance as a tour de force of matriarchal fury. [Read](https://www.timeout.com/movies/if-i-had-legs-id-kick-you-review-2025)
- **IndieWire**, David Ehrlich (A): Ehrlich calls the film a harrowing, frequently hilarious portrait of maternal distress, praising its uncompromising surreal intensity. He particularly singles out Rose Byrne’s caustic, fully committed performance and the film’s claustrophobic expressionism. [Read](https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/movies/if-i-had-legs-id-kick-you-review-rose-byrne-1235088103/)
- **The AV Club**, Brianna Zigler (A-): Zigler calls the film a stunning, brutal portrait of a mother’s exhaustion and resistance to help. She singles out Rose Byrne’s performance for conveying both pain and selfish ambivalence. [Read](https://www.avclub.com/if-i-had-legs-id-kick-you-review)
- **Slant Magazine**, Marshall Shaffer (3.5/4): Shaffer finds the film a precisely controlled, anxiety-inducing tonal rollercoaster, with only its ambiguous, Lynchian ceiling sequences falling short. He especially praises Rose Byrne’s elastic, go-for-broke performance, which anchors the film’s relentless depiction of burnout. [Read](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/if-i-had-legs-id-kick-you-review-rose-byrne-mary-bronstein/)
- **Empire**, Miriam Balanescu (85/100, inferred): Balanescu finds the pressure-cooker film perversely enjoyable and thought-provoking, despite its lack of subtlety. She singles out Rose Byrne’s fearless, grimly funny performance for anchoring the spiralling story. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/if-i-had-legs-id-kick-you/)
- **Sight and Sound**, BFI (75/100, inferred): The critic finds the film piercingly funny and acutely observant, with Rose Byrne deftly conveying Linda’s mounting emotional strain. They especially praise Bronstein’s decision to keep the daughter offscreen, which draws attention to Linda’s state of mind. [Read](https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/reviews/if-i-had-legs-id-kick-you-mary-bronstein-pushes-lifes-daily-irritations-limit-this-dark-maternal-drama)
- **The i Paper**, Francesca Steele (75/100, inferred): Steele argues that the film is an important, unsparing portrayal of motherhood under pressure, even though its protagonist is painfully unlikeable. She praises its refusal of a comic or redemptive softening, reinforced by claustrophobic body-horror-style close-ups. [Read](https://inews.co.uk/culture/film/if-had-legs-kick-motherhood-ugly-barely-watch-4202861)
- **Variety**, Peter Debruge (70/100, inferred): Debruge finds the film exhilarating but sometimes maddening, calling it an intense portrait of a maternal breakdown. He singles out Rose Byrne’s raw, feverish performance as its central achievement. [Read](https://variety.com/2025/film/reviews/if-i-had-legs-id-kick-you-review-rose-byrne-1236285403/)
- **Screen Daily**, Tim Grierson, Senior US critic (67/100, inferred): The standfirst frames the film as an intense, high-stakes ride. It singles out Rose Byrne’s portrayal of a mother on the brink. [Read](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/if-i-had-legs-id-kick-you-sundance-review/5200837.article)
- **Los Angeles Times**, Glenn Whipp (65/100, inferred): Whipp finds the film an exhausting, claustrophobic endurance test, but ultimately admires its impact. He singles out Rose Byrne’s vivid, magnificent performance as the force that makes Linda’s crisis linger. [Read](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2025-10-09/if-i-had-legs-id-kick-you-review-rose-byrne-mary-bronstein-conan-obrien-asap-rocky)
- **The Guardian**, Benjamin Lee (65/100, inferred): Lee finds the film an exhausting, often unpleasant experience that does not always work, but says its anxious portrait of motherhood keeps the viewer invested. He singles out Rose Byrne’s sensational, emotionally controlled performance as the film’s standout achievement. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2025/jan/24/if-i-had-legs-id-kick-you-review-rose-byrne)
- **The Hollywood Reporter**, David Rooney (65/100, inferred): Rooney finds the film transfixing and imaginative, though its sustained anxiety can become exhausting. He singles out Rose Byrne’s riveting, compassionate performance as its central strength. [Read](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/if-i-had-legs-id-kick-you-review-rose-byrne-1236117297/)
- **Vulture**, Alison Willmore (65/100, inferred): Willmore finds the film confrontational and compelling, though it feels unfinished and unsure where to go next. She especially praises Rose Byrne’s fearless, funny performance and the suffocating camera work that immerses viewers in Linda’s anxiety. [Read](https://www.vulture.com/article/review-if-i-had-legs-id-kick-you-is-an-outraged-howl.html)
- **The New York Times** (63/100, inferred): The page could not be accessed, so its verdict is unavailable. No praised or criticized element could be verified. [Read](https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/09/movies/if-i-had-legs-id-kick-you-review.html)
- **Little White Lies**, Lucy Peters (5/3/5): Peters considers the film an essential, cathartic work that leaves a lasting impression. She particularly praises Rose Byrne’s tightly wound performance and the claustrophobic soundscape that heightens it. [Read](https://lwlies.com/reviews/if-i-had-legs-id-kick-you)
- **The Wrap** (90/100, inferred): The critic calls the film an emotional knockout, finding its relentless, disorienting depiction of motherhood both funny and unsettling. Rose Byrne’s fragile, commanding performance is singled out as the film’s central achievement. [Read](https://www.thewrap.com/if-i-had-legs-id-kick-you-review-rose-byrne-a24/)
- **Paste**, Natalia Keogan (8.6): Keogan finds the film an intelligent, moody, and unsettling portrait of maternal anxiety. She particularly praises Rose Byrne’s performance and the film’s uncanny, Eraserhead-like atmosphere. [Read](https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/mary-bronstein/if-i-had-legs-id-kick-you-review-sundance-movie-mary-bronstein-rose-byrne-conan-obrien)
- **/Film**, Bill Bria (8/10): Bria praises the film as an absorbing, anxiety-soaked portrait of parental strain, though its surreal moments do not always blend smoothly with the rest. He singles out Rose Byrne’s high-wire performance and the film’s absurdist treatment of everyday pressures. [Read](https://www.slashfilm.com/1772474/if-i-had-legs-id-kick-you-movie-review/)
- **The Skinny**, Carmen Paddock (4/5): The critic finds the film compelling but often repellent, with only its trauma reveal and ending falling short. They praise Rose Byrne’s harrowing performance and the filmmaking that builds the film’s sensory hellscape. [Read](https://www.theskinny.co.uk/film/new-releases/if-i-had-legs-id-kick-you)
- **Eye for Film**, Jeremy Mathews (70/100, inferred): Mathews finds the film an anxiety-laden but worthwhile ride, made continuously compelling despite its difficult subject matter. He singles out Rose Byrne’s performance for anchoring the film without letting her character’s unraveling become unconvincing. [Read](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/if-i-had-legs-id-kick-you-2025-film-review-by-jeremy-mathews)
- **Deadline**, Glenn Garner (65/100, inferred): Garner finds the film an intense, effective portrait of motherhood that leaves viewers wanting to check on their mothers. He praises its closeups and carefully composed shots for conveying Linda’s deteriorating mental state. [Read](https://deadline.com/2025/01/if-i-had-legs-id-kick-you-review-rose-byrnes-mary-bronstein-sundance-1236260460/)
- **The Playlist** (62/100, inferred): The page is blocked, so the critic’s verdict cannot be established. Its praise or complaint cannot be identified from the available text. [Read](https://theplaylist.net/if-i-had-legs-id-kick-you-review-rose-byrne-is-a-mother-on-the-verge-sundance-20250124/)

## Details

- **Director:** Mary Bronstein
- **Director:** Mary Bronstein
- **Writer:** Mary Bronstein
- **Cinematography:** Christopher Messina
- **Editor:** Lucian Johnston
- **Production design:** Carmen Navis
- **Costume design:** Elizabeth Warn
- **Producer:** Ryan Zacarias, Josh Safdie, Sara Murphy
- **Cast:** Rose Byrne as Linda; Conan O'Brien as Therapist; A$AP Rocky as James; Danielle Macdonald as Caroline; Delaney Quinn as Child; Mary Bronstein as Dr. Spring; Ivy Wolk as Diana; Mark Stolzenberg as Parking Attendant
- **Runtime:** 1h 53m
- **Certificate (ACB):** M
- **Release (Australia):** 13 November 2025
- **Genres:** Drama
- **Budget:** $2 million
- **Box office:** $2 million
- **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ywFDoT7LBbQ

## Where to watch in Australia

- Stan: streaming, uhd
- Amazon Prime Video: rent A$2.99, hd
- Amazon Prime Video: buy A$7.99, hd

*Checked 2026-10-03.*

Also available in: AT, AU, BE, BR, CA, CH, CL, CO, DE, DK, ES, FI, FR, GB, IT, MX, NL, NO, NZ, PL, SE, US. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country.

## If you liked this

- *A Woman Under the Influence* (1974), Fi1m 86: Another difficult family portrait carried by a woman allowed contradictory, uncomfortable feelings. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/a-woman-under-the-influence.md)
- *The Babadook* (2014), Fi1m 86: Maternal exhaustion becomes horror, with anger that cannot simply be wished away. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-babadook.md)
- *Jeanne Dielman, 23 quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles* (1975), Fi1m 72: Domestic routine receives patient attention until its small demands become almost unbearable. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/jeanne-dielman-23-quai-du-commerce-1080-bruxelles.md)
- *Mother* (2009): A mother’s determination becomes unsettling, with bitter humour complicating our sympathy.
- *Saint Omer* (2022): A quieter examination of motherhood that makes easy moral certainty difficult.

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/film/if-i-had-legs-id-kick-you