Saagar Kote
Driven by the terrific performance of Rose Byrne in the lead, ‘If I Had Legs I’d Kick You’ is the story of a therapist named Linda, who is undergoing a terrible mental health crisis due to her daughter’s worsening health. Despite being a mental health professional, she finds it difficult to manage her life. Abandoned by her husband, she tries to care for her daughter to the best of her ability. However, living a regular life becomes increasingly difficult for Linda, as she also has to remain calm when talking to her patients. As she navigates a difficult emotional relationship with her therapist, she also becomes involved in a puzzling missing-person case.
Linda comes close to a full mental collapse as the world around her becomes more hostile. Seemingly losing all hope of making her daughter better, Linda must find extraordinary strength within herself to survive. Directed by Mary Bronstein, the psychological comedy-drama film is a brutal navigation of a woman pushed to the edge. If you are looking for more movies that resemble the spirit and themes of ‘If I Had Legs I’d Kick You,’ this list will be of interest to you.
12. Lady Bird (2017)
‘Lady Bird,’ a comedy-drama film, explores the chaotic journey of adolescence through the eyes of Christine “Lady Bird” McPherson (Saoirse Ronan). Residing in Sacramento, which she perceives as mundane, Christine navigates teenage romantic complications, friendships, and self-doubt. A central tension in the narrative is her volatile relationship with her mother, Marion McPherson (Laurie Metcalf). Driven by a fierce desire for escape and a fresh start, Christine dreams of leaving her hometown to pursue higher education in NYC. But the true meaning of liberation is something that Christine has not yet figured out. Directed by Greta Gerwig, the narrative, akin to ‘If I Had Legs I’d Kick You,’ explores the journey of a complex female character, the mother-daughter relationship, and a scenario in which familial dynamics play a significant role.
11. All About My Mother (1999)
Directed by Pedro Almodóvar, ‘All About My Mother’ or ‘Todo sobre mi madre’ follows Manuela Echevarria (Cecilia Roth), a single mother, who is consumed by grief after the shocking death of her teenage son Esteban. She travels to Barcelona, intending to find Esteban’s estranged father, Lola, who is currently missing. In the city, she forms a deep connection with her old friend Agrado and meets Rosa, a pregnant nun. As she comes to terms with her son’s death and desperately hopes to inform Lola about the tragedy, her life is disrupted by another devastating event that challenges her like never before. The Spanish comedy-drama film shares the spirit of ‘If I Had Legs I’d Kick You’ through its focus on themes of gender, parenthood, circumstance, and mental health.
10. To the Bone (2017)
‘To the Bone,’ directed by Marti Noxon, deals with the ups and downs in the life of Ellen (Lily Collins), a young woman grappling with anorexia, a medical condition that leads to drastic weight loss. She becomes so thin that her bones become visible. This makes it extremely difficult for her to eat and even achieve some level of recovery. Dr. William Beckham (Keanu Reeves) helps her find a voice, talking to her about the mental health aspects that make her condition worse.
Ellen’s life takes a significant turn when she enters a group home specifically dedicated to the recovery of patients with anorexia. With her life in danger and her loved ones beginning to lose hope, Ellen must ultimately find the inner strength to accept food as a means of survival. The Netflix drama film, like ‘If I Had Legs I’d Kick You,’ is a haunting portrayal of isolation, and a female character’s fight against the world and herself.
9. Still Alice (2014)
‘Still Alice’ is a drama film that centers upon Alice Howland (Julianne Moore), a respected linguistics professor who is happily married with three children. Alice’s life unravels as she begins to experience memory loss and is subsequently diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. The diagnosis poses a severe challenge for Alice and her family, particularly her husband, John Howland (Alec Baldwin), who takes on the role of her caretaker.
The strain of her declining health also impacts her bond with her youngest daughter, Lydia (Kristen Stewart), and her eldest daughter, Anna (Kate Bosworth). As her stable life rapidly deteriorates, Alice is forced to confront her remaining time and strive for reconciliation and redemption. Her tough journey as a mother in the Richard Glatzer and Wash Westmoreland directorial reflects the struggles and complex mental health of Linda as a parent in ‘If I Had Legs I’d Kick You.’
8. Sometimes I Think About Dying (2023)
‘Sometimes I Think About Dying’ is the story of Fran Larsen (Daisy Ridley), who constantly thinks about dying and all the worst things about human life. Her only escape from the troubles of her mental health is her time in the office, where she believes she does a good job. With isolation and social awkwardness making her existence more difficult, she unexpectedly encounters a different challenge. Her odd sense of humour makes her colleague Robert Naser (Dave Merheje) laugh.
Robert compliments Fran on being a funny woman, after which they go on a date and even kiss. However, with her pessimism and deeply layered feelings being a major barrier in the relationship, Fran must accept life again and stop thinking about death. Based on the play ‘Killers’ by Kevin Armento, the romantic comedy-drama film is a fascinating take on mental health. By putting focus on the isolation of a woman’s sense of isolation, mental health issues, and potential liberation, the Rachel Lambert directorial reflects the themes of ‘If I Had Legs I’d Kick You’ and seemingly acts as a mirror to its characters.
7. Shiva Baby (2020)
‘Shiva Baby’ is the chaotic story of a young Jewish girl named Danielle (Rachel Sennott), who is sleeping with Max (Danny Deferrari), an older man, for money and growth. She finds herself in a mess when she goes to a Jewish Shiva mourning service at a house in the neighborhood. Danielle encounters her former lover Maya (Molly Gordon), which makes her uncomfortable. Things take a turn for the worse when Max shows up at the event with his wife.
With family members targeting her for her apparent lack of ambition and her complex love life unraveling in front of her eyes, Danielle must find a way to make it out of the event without damaging herself further. Helmed by Emma Seligman, whose eponymous short film it is based on, the comedy movie is a harrowing take on claustrophobic situations. On the lines of ‘If I Had Legs I’d Kick You,’ it narrates the troubles of a female character, while also focusing on family relationships, unexpected encounters, and a hope for liberation.
6. Sorry, Baby (2025)
Directed by Eva Victor, ‘Sorry, Baby’ is the story of a woman named Agnes Ward (Victor), who lives a life of isolation in a remote house. She deals with a mysterious tragedy that happened to her over three years ago, and still suffers the consequences. Agnes finds it difficult to talk about her mental health condition. When her dear friend Lydie (Naomi Ackie) shows up at her doorstep, Agnes undergoes a difficult transformation as she comes to terms with her reality. As different people offer her new perspectives on life, Agnes finds it difficult to muster the will to live a fulfilling life again without surrendering to the sadness she carries. The film’s careful depiction of loneliness, a layered portrait of mental health, and the complexities of a woman harboring deep trauma make it spiritually linked to Linda’s character and story in ‘If I Had Legs I’d Kick You.’
5. The Lost Daughter (2021)
Based on Elena Ferrante’s eponymous novel, ‘The Lost Daughter’ follows university professor Leda Caruso (Olivia Colman), who goes on a vacation to Greece. There, she crosses paths with a young mother, Nina (Dakota Johnson), and her 3-year-old daughter. As Leda grows obsessed with Nina and the young daughter, she also starts to remember harrowing incidents from her past. As she makes a spiritual connection between her own experience with her daughters and the possible challenges that Nina will undergo as a mother, she attempts to warn Nina about the cost of motherhood. With the past and present converging in her mind, Leda must find her own way towards liberation. Directed by Maggie Gyllenhaal, the psychological drama film is a haunting navigation of grief, meaning, and mental health through the eyes of a mother, much like ‘If I Had Legs I’d Kick You.’
4. Pieces of a Woman (2020)
‘Pieces of a Woman,’ directed by Kornél Mundruczó, revolves around the trials and tribulations of Martha Weiss (Vanessa Kirby), a pregnant woman whose child dies immediately after birth. This takes a terrible toll on the mental health of Martha and her husband, Sean Carson (Shia LaBeouf). Over the course of the next year, Maratha not only deals with the grief of losing her child, but also experiences difficult relationship issues with her mother and her husband. As a legal and medical negligence angle appears in the death of her baby, Martha decides to fight a difficult battle. The drama film, partly based on the eponymous play by Kornél Mundruczó and
Kata Wéber is a riveting picture of grief. Martha’s ups and downs in the story closely reflect the emotional turbulence that Linda experiences as a parent in ‘If I Had Legs I’d Kick You.’
3. A Mouthful of Air (2021)
In ‘A Mouthful of Air,’ Julie Davis (Amanda Seyfried) is a woman who faces significant mental health issues. She unsuccessfully tries to take her own life just before her child’s first birthday. To make sense of her situation, she writes children’s books about confronting fears. However, she refuses to face her own fears, making it tough for her to be happy. Her husband, Ethan Davis (Finn Wittrock), supports her to overcome her anxieties, but this is not enough to help her recover.
When she discovers that she is pregnant again, Julie is forced to face the terrifying truths about her upbringing and also attempt to improve her present and the future. Directed by Amy Koppelman and based on her novel of the same name, the psychological drama film is a riveting tale of a mother in crisis. The film bears a striking resemblance to ‘If I Had Legs I’d Kick You’ due to its portrayal of the uncertainties of motherhood, the cost of grief, the hopelessness of life, and the will to recover.
2. Die My Love (2025)
Directed by Lynne Ramsay, ‘Die My Love’ chronicles the challenges faced by a young mother and writer, Grace (Jennifer Lawrence), who struggles with a mental health crisis. She exhibits violent behavior, but denies having any psychological issues. Her descent into chaos troubles her lover and partner, Jackson (Robert Pattinson), who struggles to determine what is making her angry and sad. The couple lives in an isolated house in Montana, where the helplessness is amplified by Grace’s unpredictable behaviour.
With Grace showing no signs of recovery, Jackson is forced to face terrifying truths. With motherhood taking a toll on Grace, she intends to find meaning in increasingly unconventional and dangerous ways. The psychological drama film, based on Ariana Harwicz’s novel ‘Die, My Love,’ is a striking depiction of womanhood in all its complexities. This theme, along with the ideas of motherhood, depression, love, isolation, and danger, connects the movie to ‘If I Had Legs I’d Kick You’ and its world.
1. Tully (2018)
‘Tully,’ a comedy-drama film, centers on the strained life of Marlo Moreau (Charlize Theron), a mother who is struggling after the birth of her third child. Reluctantly, she accepts the help of a nanny named Tully (Mackenzie Davis), a gift paid for by her brother, Craig (Mark Duplass). Juggling the demands of a newborn and another child with a health issue, Marlo finds the challenges of motherhood overwhelming. However, her perspective shifts as she develops an emotionally intricate relationship with the new caretaker.
To truly understand her reality, Marlo must face difficult truths about life. Directed by Jason Reitman, it explores the various layers of motherhood in ways similar to ‘If I Had Legs I’d Kick You.’ Both films comment on the struggles of a woman experiencing loneliness, desperation, and the inescapable burden of caring for a child. The visual and thematic elements of the narratives connect them on a greater level.
Read More: Is If I Had Legs I’d Kick You a True Story? Is Linda Based on a Real Psychotherapist?
