Directed by Celine Cotran and written by Alannah Lewis, Joy and Harry are trying to have a baby. One night, Joy swallows a spider in her sleep. When Joy subsequently develops an insatiable appetite for flies, it dawns on her that there may be more than one way of becoming a mother. Starring: Laura Carmichael, Amit Shah, Sarah Kameela Impey and Karl Theobald.
One of the interesting things about Legs is that there’s a lot to unwrap, primarily that there’s two key viewpoints when watching it, either purely through that lens of comedy horror or delving into the layers beneath exploring societal pressure on women and the frustrating experience of trying for a baby. Although they don’t always necessarily feel in sync, which is a shame, but they are both clearly present.
If you were to actually take the time and unpack everything that Legs is saying about the experiences of struggling to have a baby, particularly while knowing other pregnant women, it really adds a lot of points in its favour. Unfortunately, you can’t really assume every viewer is going to make that leap, and it will likely connect more with women. Although without those extra layers, the film can struggle as it’s hitting a slightly odd tone.
There’s a quirky and somewhat uncomfortable side to the atmosphere which Celine Cotran and Alannah Lewis create, which is intriguing but not always a positive thing. It makes it slightly difficult to gauge what it’s genuinely going for because there is also that underlying sincerity behind its humour. Part of the problem is that the comedic side is very light and that doesn’t entirely match the bigger picture. Especially when the plot of the story feels more suited to being dark and a little bit twisted.
Outside of that, the direction has a modern style, it’s edited well and manages to keep a good pacing throughout. The performances from Laura Carmichael and Amit Shah are unsurprisingly great, they’re two wonderfully reliable and multi-faceted British actors, who don’t always get as much credit as they deserve. Carmichael does a great job of capturing the relaxed yet unhinged quality to Joy, that engaging balance of sounding perfectly rational while asking a very irrational question.
Legs is a captivating interpretation of the experience of trying for a baby and all the frustration and desperation that come along with it. Some elements are stronger than others, while the direction hits the right notes, the atmosphere can feel like it’s slightly missing the target. It’s extremely well casted, Laura Carmichael makes Joy rather fascinatingly strange while Amit Shah brings a huge dose of compassion as Harry. It doesn’t quite achieve everything it had the potential for but it’s a clever, funny story with a very relatable, relevant foundation.
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