Rose Byrne Is Terrific in Tow But the Script Lets Her Down

Rose Byrne built real momentum with If I Had Legs I’d Kick You, a film that earned her genuine critical praise and reminded audiences she can carry a complex, emotionally demanding story on her own. So when Tow arrived as her follow-up, expectations were reasonable. Unfortunately, according to critics who have seen the film, those expectations go largely unmet — not because the intentions behind the movie are bad, but because good intentions alone don’t make a film work.

The review from Collider, published March 20, 2026, signals that Tow is the kind of film that tries hard and still falls short — a frustrating outcome for a project that clearly had something real to say.

Here’s what we know about the film, why it’s generating conversation, and what Rose Byrne’s latest project tells us about the difficulty of following up a breakout performance.

What ‘Tow’ Is and Why People Are Watching

Rose Byrne has been one of the more quietly consistent performers in Hollywood for years. Her work spans broad comedy, sharp drama, and everything in between — from Bridesmaids to Physical to the critically noticed If I Had Legs I’d Kick You. That last film raised her profile considerably, which makes Tow a film people were genuinely curious about.

The title itself is spare and direct, which fits the kind of grounded, intimate storytelling that audiences have come to associate with Byrne’s more serious work. The film arrives with the weight of expectation that comes from following a well-received project — and that weight, critics suggest, it doesn’t quite carry.

The Collider review, written by critic Nate Richard, frames the film’s core problem clearly in its headline: Tow “fails its good intentions.” That’s a specific kind of criticism. It’s not calling the film cynical or lazy. It’s saying the film reaches for something meaningful and doesn’t land it — which can sometimes be harder to watch than a film that never tries at all.

The Challenge of Following a Breakout Film

There’s a particular pressure that comes with being the follow-up to a well-received project. Audiences and critics arrive with calibrated expectations, and any film that feels like a step sideways — let alone backward — tends to get scrutinized more harshly than it might have otherwise.

If I Had Legs I’d Kick You gave Byrne a showcase that resonated. Tow is now being measured against that benchmark, and by the early critical read, it doesn’t clear the bar. That’s not unusual in the film industry — follow-ups to unexpected successes fail more often than they succeed — but it’s still a notable development for a performer who had built real goodwill.

The phrase “fails its good intentions” also raises a question worth sitting with: what were those intentions? Films that critics describe this way are usually ones that tackle real, substantive themes — grief, identity, relationships under pressure — but lose the thread somewhere in execution. The gap between what a film is trying to do and what it actually achieves on screen is where Tow appears to fall.

What We Know About the Film’s Reception

The review’s framing is important context. Collider is a significant entertainment outlet with a wide readership, and a mixed-to-negative review there carries weight in the film conversation — particularly for a project that doesn’t have the marketing muscle of a major studio blockbuster behind it.

Why This Matters for Rose Byrne’s Trajectory

A single mixed review doesn’t define a career, and Byrne’s track record is strong enough that one underperforming film won’t significantly damage her standing. But Tow does represent a moment worth paying attention to.

Performers who break through with a specific kind of work face a genuine creative dilemma: do you try to replicate what worked, or do you push into new territory and risk the result not connecting? Either path carries risk. Tow appears to have aimed for something in the spirit of her recent work — grounded, character-driven, emotionally engaged — and come up short in the execution.

That’s not a career-ending outcome. It’s a detour. The more relevant question is what comes next, and whether the projects Byrne has lined up will give her another opportunity to deliver the kind of performance that made If I Had Legs I’d Kick You worth talking about.

What Happens Next for the Film

As of the review’s publication date in March 2026, Tow is entering its critical window — the period when reviews accumulate and audiences decide whether a film is worth their time. A mixed reception from outlets like Collider can slow that momentum considerably, particularly for smaller films that depend on word-of-mouth and critical enthusiasm to find their audience.

Whether Tow finds a second life through streaming, awards consideration, or simply a devoted niche audience remains to be seen. Films that “fail their good intentions” sometimes get reassessed over time — occasionally more kindly than their initial reception suggested.

For now, though, the early verdict is clear: Tow is not the follow-up that Rose Byrne or her audience was hoping for.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Tow?
Tow is a film starring Rose Byrne, described by critics as the follow-up to her well-received project If I Had Legs I’d Kick You.

How has Tow been received by critics?
Early reviews, including one from Collider published March 20, 2026, suggest the film has good intentions but fails in its execution, resulting in a mixed critical reception.

Who reviewed Tow for Collider?
The review was written by Nate Richard, a film and television critic and Resource Editor at Collider.

Is Tow connected to If I Had Legs I’d Kick You?
Not as a sequel — it is described as Rose Byrne’s follow-up project in terms of her career trajectory, not a continuation of the same story.

Does a mixed review mean the film is worth skipping?
Not necessarily. Films described as having “good intentions” that fall short in execution sometimes resonate strongly with specific audiences, even when broader critical reception is mixed.

What is Rose Byrne’s next project after Tow?
This has not been confirmed in the available source material at the time of this review’s publication.