If I Had Legs I'd Kick You

Amongst the most unmissable films of the year, If I Had Legs I’d Kick You follows psychiatrist Linda (Rose Byrne), who balances her life a hair away from a complete nervous breakdown. Linda’s everyday life is a volatile equation composed of an emotionally burdensome work environment, taking care of her seriously ill child, and arguments with a distant husband. When the roof of the family’s home suddenly collapses, Linda’s reality begins to crumble one floor at a time. In few films are the honest depictions of the many facets of motherhood as perceptive.

The narrative world’s chaotic disarray is directed with skill and precision, and the breaking points in tension always feel purposeful. The cinematic storytelling methods of cosmic horror, black comedy, and psychological thriller blend together to form an unforgettably intense whole. At times, the film’s ruthless intensity is reminiscent of works by the Safdie brothers, but in director Mary Bronstein’s telling, moments of respite are even more scarce, stakes even higher and the exaggerated machismo refreshingly ceding. Byrne performs the role of her lifetime as Linda, with actors such as A$AP Rocky and Conan O’Brien impressing in other key roles.

Aatos Ketvel (translated by Tara Tuchyner)