By Bailey Pennick

“This is the first time that anyone’s paid for me to make art,” says Mary Bronstein before introducing her sophomore feature, If I Had Legs I’d Kick You, to a packed Library audience. Hoots and hollers erupt from the crowd filled with family and collaborators. The writer-director smiles from ear to ear as she looks out. “That’s a big deal!”

Bronstein’s latest, debuting in the Premieres section of the 2025 Sundance Film Festival, is a big deal — complete with a big deal performance from Rose Byrne. Legs, as co-star Conan O’Brien revealed the cast called the film during production, brings viewers right into the anxiety-riddled mind of Linda (Byrne) and will not let you go until the credits roll. 

With her husband on a long work trip, a daughter with an undefined, yet all-consuming illness, and a mysterious gigantic hole right in the middle of her ceiling, Linda is at the end of her rope and her deteriorating relationship with her therapist/co-worker (O’Brien) isn’t helping. It’s an overwhelming watch, which is exactly how Bronstein designed it. “This is an experiential film,” she says before the premiere. “So just forget about everything else you’re doing or thinking about and give yourself over to the next just-under-two-hours and really be in it.”

Byrne brings so much to the role that locks you in with Linda on her frantic journey, as the cascading wave of “default parenting” issues and pressures is constantly pushing her down. During the post-premiere conversation, the actor spoke to what kept her diving deeper into her character’s crumbling psyche: “I just kept thinking, who was this person before this crisis?” There are flashes of that person thanks to Byrne’s unwavering commitment to the complexity of her character. 

O’Brien was also taken aback by the power of his costar’s performance. “I feel like I have to go to a hospital now,” he jokes after commending the strength and talent of Byrne and Bronstein. The audience laughs in agreement as everyone finally exhales after holding their breath the entire duration of the film.

“I just hadn’t seen a film before when a mom is struggling with a child, from the mother’s point of view,” says Bronstein. “But what about me? I’m suffering too, as a caretaker.”