Old School. Biblically Independent.
By Andrew Sanford | News | August 6, 2025
“Dad, August was rude to me, he said, ‘No thank you!” That’s what I heard when I was about a paragraph into the first piece I wrote for Pajiba this morning. Interuptions continued, making a 30 to 45 minute process take almost an hour and a half. I am often home with my kids, and feel blessed to be so, but it can be challenging. I know I’ll be devastated when they go to school in a month, but I’m constantly having to put out little fires when I’m trying to get some work done or just sit down (with them, even) for a couple of minutes. So, when the newest trailer for If I Had Legs I’d Kick You began with Rose Byrne kicking off her shoes only to be called by her daughter, I felt seen (and was then immediately called by one of my kids and had to pause it).
“Dada, Auggie’s not playing by the rules!” That just happened! Right now! I swear! Anyway, If I Had Legs I’d Kick You stars Byrne as Linda, a human whose life is coming apart as she deals with her daughter having a mysterious illness, an absentee husband, and a contentious relationship with her therapist (more on that in a sec). The film, written and directed by Mary Bronstein, was a huge hit when it premiered at Sundance this year. It is easily one of the most anticipated movies of the fall, and one of the big reasons is one of Byrne’s co-stars, but forget about that for a second.
Byrne is incredible in this trailer. Many of the reviews for the film highlight her exquisite performance, and seeing it in action is riveting. A trailer is meant to hype you up for a film, but still, you can see Byrne cover a wide range of emotions in these two minutes. She feels so grounded and honest. The woman is playing “tired parent” in a way that made me point at the screen like the Leo meme. Her performance looks transcendent, and that’s not even getting into Bronstein’s direction!
I am not familiar with Bronstein’s work, but I will seek it out. There are such confident, tense, stylistic moments in this trailer. Again, I know it’s just bits and pieces, but it’s pretty easy to tell when a director has a particular style and voice. In a time when homogenized studio fare dominates theaters, any assertive vision is welcome and then some. Critics also praised Bronstein’s work, and their excitement gets me excited.
Oh, also, Conan O’Brien is in this very serious-looking movie! O’Brien plays Byrne’s therapist, who seems to have utter disdain for her. It’s hard not to read some of his moments as funny, and there will likely be darkly comedic elements to what he’s doing, but it’s a far cry from hurling over-the-top insults at the Please Don’t Destroy guys. This serious turn for Conan is wildly enticing. So much so that I assumed he would be the thing I was most thrilled about. I expected to spend a whole piece writing about O’Brien. Not the case!
This movie looks so goddamn good that I almost forgot Conan was in it. He just kept popping up in the trailer like a fun little surprise to break (and add to) the incredible tension. I can’t wait to see this flick. I’m excited for Rose Byrne to (possibly) finally get an Oscar nomination. Hell, maybe Conan will get one too! Now that the man has put on tiny glasses and performed onscreen as someone that is neither a version of himself nor a bit with a voice, I’m opening the door to all possibilities.
Now, if you’ll excuse me, someone isn’t playing Chutes and Ladders correctly. I have a guess who it is.
