At Sundance, the most sought-after ticket was for a psychological thriller starring Rose Byrne and Conan O’Brien.

Rose Byrne attended the premiere of "If I Had Legs, I'd Kick You" at the Sundance Film Festival on Friday, January 24, 2025, held at the Library Theatre in Park City, Utah. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

PARK CITY, Utah (NB360) — Rose Byrne portrays a mother undergoing a breakdown in the psychological thriller “If I Had Legs I’d Kick You.”

Expectations were high for the A24 film, set for release later this year. Its Friday premiere at the Sundance Film Festival was the most sought-after ticket, with even some ticketholders unable to attend. Those who did enter the Library theater experienced an intense, imaginative story by filmmaker Mary Bronstein, quickly becoming a festival highlight.

Byrne plays Linda, struggling to cope with her daughter’s mysterious illness amid numerous crises — from a massive hole in their apartment ceiling forcing a move to a dingy motel, to a tense encounter with a parking attendant at a care center. The strain on her mental, emotional, and physical health becomes overwhelming.

“I’d never seen a movie where a mother is in crisis with a child, yet the focus is on the mother’s struggle,” Bronstein said at the premiere. “As a caretaker, you’re expected to prioritize the person you’re caring for, not yourself. That’s a unique kind of emotional burnout I wanted to explore.”

Byrne and Bronstein delved deep during preparation, discussing Linda extensively to portray her authentically before the swift 27-day shoot. Byrne was keen to understand Linda’s life before the crisis. The film draws inspiration from Bronstein’s experiences with her own daughter, though she chose not to share details.

“That’s her story to tell,” Bronstein stated.

Linda’s story includes her therapist, played by Conan O’Brien, who humorously remarked that he was unaware he was in a film.

“I’m not actively seeking film roles. But when A24 called with a script, I wasn’t going to ignore it,” O’Brien said. “I showed it to my wife, one of the smartest people I know, and she said, ‘I didn’t know films like this were still made.’”

He was particularly impressed by his director and co-star, admitting he felt inadequate next to them.

“It was an incredible experience, one of the best of my life, just to observe them work,” O’Brien said. “I don’t know how (Byrne) sustained that intensity throughout the film without needing hospitalization.”

“I feel like I need a hospital now, having just watched it for the first time,” he added. “I’m a wreck.”

A$AP Rocky also stars as a man Linda meets at the motel, though he was absent from the premiere due to being on trial for allegedly firing a gun at a former friend.

The film is rich with ambiguity, metaphor, and artistic expression, elements Bronstein hesitated to clarify, including the title and the ceiling hole, which takes on a supernatural aspect.

“When we’re depleted, we have an emptiness within us,” Bronstein explained. “And that emptiness isn’t truly empty: It’s filled with darkness, self-hate, doubt, fear, dread, and regret. … That’s what the hole represents to me.”

Some aspects, she admitted, remain unclear even to her. The focus is on the experience, and critics and Sundance audiences are already captivated.

Bronstein, a cult figure in the film industry, debuted as a director in 2008 at SXSW with “Yeast,” featuring a pre-fame Greta Gerwig and praised by New Yorker critic Richard Brody as a “mumblecore classic.”

“If I Had Legs I’d Kick You” is only her second feature film.

“This is the first time someone else funded my art,” Bronstein said. “I’m proud this film came directly from my imagination to the screen.”