PARK CITY, Utah — Rose Byrne takes on the role of a mother experiencing a profound psychological breakdown in the gripping psychological thriller “If I Had Legs I’d Kick You.”
Excitement has been palpable surrounding this A24 production, which is set to be released later this year. The film’s debut at the Sundance Film Festival quickly became the most sought-after ticket, leaving many ticketholders unable to gain entry. For those fortunate enough to get into the Library theater, an intense and inventive experience awaited them, courtesy of filmmaker Mary Bronstein, leading many to deem it a festival highlight.
Byrne portrays Linda, a mother grappling with her daughter’s enigmatic illness. She finds herself overwhelmed by a series of crises, both large and small, including a significant hole that appears in their apartment ceiling, forcing them to relocate to a rundown motel, and a growing altercation with a parking attendant at a care center. The strain on her emotional, psychological, and physical state becomes increasingly unbearable.
“At no point had I witnessed a film that explored a mother’s turmoil through the lens of her own struggles rather than through her child’s,” Bronstein said during the premiere. “Typically, caretakers feel they should prioritize the one they’re caring for, often neglecting their own needs, which leads to a unique emotional exhaustion that I wanted to delve into.”
In preparation, Byrne and Bronstein engaged in extensive discussions about Linda, aiming to create a genuine character before their swift 27-day shooting schedule. Byrne confessed her obsession with uncovering who Linda was prior to her crisis. The story draws some inspiration from Bronstein’s personal experiences as a mother, but she chose to keep those details private, remarking, “That’s her story to tell.”
Central to Linda’s journey is her therapist, played by Conan O’Brien. He humorously remarked that he had not anticipated being part of a film. “I don’t actively seek movie scripts,” O’Brien stated. “But when I received a call from A24 asking if I’d read something, I recognized the opportunity. I shared it with my wife, and she was amazed that films like this are still made.”
O’Brien expressed admiration for both Byrne and Bronstein, feeling overwhelmed to be working alongside them. “The experience was incredible, one of the best of my life,” he noted. “I’ve never seen anyone maintain that level of intensity throughout an entire film.” He added humorously that after watching the film, he felt like he might need a hospital visit himself, saying, “I’m a wreck.”
Also featuring in the film is A$AP Rocky, who plays a man Linda encounters at the motel but was absent from the premiere due to ongoing legal issues related to a trial for discharging a firearm at a former friend.
The film is rich in metaphor, ambiguity, and artistry, leading Bronstein to feel hesitant about providing explanations, including the film’s title and the supernatural-like quality of the ceiling hole. “When we feel we have nothing left to give, it creates a void within us,” Bronstein explained. “However, that void is not empty; it is filled with darkness, self-hatred, doubt, fear, dread, and regret. To me, that’s what the hole represents.”
Some aspects of the story remain somewhat unclear even to Bronstein. She emphasizes that the essence lies in the experience itself, with critics and Sundance attendees already captivated by what they have seen. Bronstein, known in cinema circuits, made her directorial debut in 2008 at the SXSW festival with “Yeast,” which was acclaimed by critics, including The New Yorker’s Richard Brody, who labeled it a “mumblecore classic.”
“If I Had Legs I’d Kick You” marks Bronstein’s second feature, and she expressed her pride in it being the first project funded by others to realize her artistic vision, stating, “This film is a direct translation from my mind to the screen.”
