When most people think of comedy movies, they have a specific idea in their mind. It usually involves slapstick or easily digestible humor, like “The Hangover” or “Step Brothers.” These are crowd pleasers with nonstop jokes. Comedy is an expansive genre that can include different approaches. “If I Had Legs I’d Kick You” is one such movie. Through masterful dark comedy, interesting creative choices and a captivating lead performance, this movie became one of my favorites of the last year.

The movie follows Linda, the mother of a young girl suffering from a mysterious illness. Linda’s life is unraveling around her. Her home flooded after the ceiling collapsed; her husband is never around, and her job as a therapist has her in over her head with clients. To top it all off, her daughter’s illness seems to infiltrate every aspect of her life, preventing her from getting a moment’s peace. 

Rose Byrne’s performance acts as the centerpiece of the film. She is nominated for Best Actress at the upcoming Academy Awards and is my personal pick to win. She also took home the Golden Globe for Best Female Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy for this role. These accolades are well deserved. Byrne delivers a tragic yet wickedly funny performance that sucked me into her character’s struggles. 

Her character is obviously not a good person. She leaves her child alone at night to get drunk and mingle with her neighbors. She continually snaps at her daughter’s physician and seems more annoyed with her patients than anything. This doesn’t take away from the film, though, and actually adds to the humor. The way she acts is so standoffish, it’s almost absurd. Then again, her personality seems to mirror the chaos of her life. 

The comedic aspect of the movie cannot be understated, either. Most of the comedy is based around the situations Linda ends up in and her reactions. The world appears to endlessly throw crazy circumstances her way. All of the humor has dark elements that made me question if I was actually supposed to find it funny, but feeling uncomfortable is a pillar of this branch of comedy. 

Several moments made me laugh out loud, which I didn’t initially expect. One scene involves Linda forcing her daughter to go into the hospital for an appointment with another girl her daughter dislikes. She does this to escape a parking attendant she has an ongoing feud with. The situation itself seems like it shouldn’t be funny, but Byrne’s performance and the absurdity of the scene make it so. Byrne is no stranger to comedy, appearing in popular titles like “Bridesmaids” and “Neighbors,” which makes her ability to master a role like this unsurprising. It’s a style of comedy that might not be for everyone, but I found it effective.

Many of the creative choices amplified the stressful atmosphere of the film. Her daughter remains unseen for the vast majority of the runtime. Instead, the viewer only hears her voice and sees her mother’s often exasperated reaction. Similarly, since Linda’s husband is out of town, most of his presence manifests through phone calls, which largely consist of arguing. These choices demonstrate how isolated Linda truly is. She doesn’t feel her family’s presence, just the stress their voices bring. 

Sound is utilized throughout the film in other ways to emphasize Linda’s stress. The scenes involving hospital equipment feature incessant beeping. Another scene involves a baby crying for an extended period of time. Her phone seems to ring constantly. These sounds annoy and add stress to the audience, just as Linda feels. 

The movie presents the story of a woman struggling to deal with the stressors of her life. Through the humorous situations and inventive aspects, the audience sees and feels the burdens she faces largely alone. She is a mother who doesn’t feel confident in her position as one, but must carry on. Byrne’s performance hammers these ideas home. It’s at times an uncomfortable watch, but a rewarding one, with one of the most unforgettable performances of the year. Overall, I would rate it 9/10. “If I Had Legs I’d Kick You” is available to stream on HBO Max.