Sorry, Baby

Watched at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival.

Gosh, where can I begin? This movie is both hilarious and heartbreaking as it perfectly portrays of both the drama and comedic moments of life despite the harrowing situation that has been encountered. Eva Victor, who directed and acted, crafts an incredible drama that becomes a good character study of finding ways to move on with great dialogue, character dynamics, performances, and direction on the tone and atmosphere throughout.

Presented with good realistic camerawork, structure, and editing, the movie handles it serious themes solely and perfectly. Including great characters, atmospheres and cunning dialogue that are presented throughout the story that achieves the realism and nature approaches or life. There are some dialogue moments that are still burned into my memory which shows how good the dialogue is. Each conversation, choices and structure is held perfectly from Victor with each pacing moment feeling balanced, tone being focused and a good sense of humane style of life. No moment there was something that felt out of place, cheesy or unrealistic.

Eva Victor might be a new voice in cinema pretty soon and I do hope Victor is able to get the chance to shine soon.

I've seen this twice now (Sundance and LA premier), and what struck me on the second viewing is how cozy this movie is, despite the circumstances of the plot.

At my second screening, Eva Victor did a Q&A and emphasized how important it was for her to make sure the audience felt safe and she parsed through this story, and to avoid any depictions of violence onscreen.

This translated pretty clearly, as the warmth and love from friends, strangers, and new love interests help guide Agnes through the pain, guilt, regret, and distrust.

Also, awesome depiction of the Cat Distribution system. 10/10 cat.

Sorry, Baby was a movie I hadn't heard about or read any reviews. So, I went in not knowing what to expect.

Agnes (Eva Victor) is a full professor (!) in her 20's (!!!) at some unidentified small college that seems to be in northern Massachusetts by the seashore. Agnes is kind of quirky, a little off at times and obviously a loner. Her one good friend, Lydie (Naomi Ackie), has left the house they shared - platonically - and moved on to a career and a relationship in NYC. Lydie then comes for a visit and they are both very chill and at ease with one another in a nice way. Lydie then reveals that she is pregnant. The movie then bounces back to when they and some friends were working on their dissertations three or so years a ago, then to the more immediate term of the past year or so and then jumps ahead to the not too distant future when Lydie has had her child.

All through the focus is on Agnes and a trauma she experienced (no spoiler) and how she is coping and how mostly Lydie helped her. The mood bounces from stress, to being poignant and the to being funny - but none of it laugh out loud funny. It's a quirky portrait of single childless cat lady (yes, there is a cat featured pretty significantly) without really embracing that concept for self-deprecation or for self-affirmation. The movie meanders, which is nice for a change, yet doesn't really make any kind of impact one way or another. Sorry, Baby is just there.

Sorry, Baby won't be everyone's cup of tea - and I would recommend waiting for it to come out on streaming.

Rating: 9/10 Stars

Eva Victor's "Sorry, Baby," released in 2025, is a masterful and surprisingly resonant film that deftly navigates the complexities of trauma with an unexpected and often hilarious touch. This isn't your typical heavy-handed drama; instead, it offers a refreshing, darkly comedic lens through which to explore profound human experiences, particularly the aftermath of sexual assault.

The film's greatest strength lies in its wonderfully crafted characters, who feel remarkably authentic and lived-in. Agnes, the protagonist (played with nuanced brilliance by Eva Victor herself), grapples with a past "bad thing" that has left her somewhat emotionally stalled. Her journey to reclaim her life, however, is far from a straight line, and it's in the messy, often absurd detours that the film truly shines.

Among the standout performances, Gavin (Lucas Hedges) emerges as a genuinely heartwarming presence. His kind-hearted, somewhat clumsy demeanor provides a vital counterpoint to Agnes's internal struggles. Their budding relationship, depicted with a delicate blend of awkwardness and sincerity, offers moments of tender vulnerability and much-needed levity. Gavin's ability to "sense" Agnes's pain without prying, offering quiet support and respect, makes him a truly memorable and endearing character.

Then there's Agnes's feline companion, Cat (or Olga, as named in some reports), who, despite being an animal, plays a significant role in mirroring Agnes's journey. The film cleverly uses the interactions with her cat, including a particularly unsettling yet darkly humorous scene involving a mouse, to symbolize Agnes's own struggles with control, empathy, and the often-unpredictable nature of life itself. The cat is more than just a pet; it's a silent witness and a catalyst for subtle emotional shifts.

What sets "Sorry, Baby" apart is its bold and incredibly effective use of humor to deal with such a weighty theme. The script, also penned by Victor, understands that life, even in the face of profound pain, is replete with the ridiculous and the mundane. From socially unaware doctors to bureaucratic hoops, the film finds moments of genuine laughter in situations that would, in other hands, be purely somber. This tonal balance is a delicate tightrope walk, but "Sorry, Baby" manages it with grace and unflinching honesty, making the film not only impactful but also incredibly watchable. It allows the audience to breathe, to connect with the characters on a human level, and to find solace in shared experiences, even if those experiences are tinged with darkness.

"Sorry, Baby" is not just a film about recovery; it's a testament to the resilience of the human spirit, the unexpected sources of comfort, and the power of finding humor in the unlikeliest of places. It's a vital, surprising, and deeply moving cinematic experience that will undoubtedly leave a lasting impression. Highly recommended.

Beautiful acting by the lead, but the script lacks full development of the characters. Hard to understand main character's motivation. No development of origin. Also, she has no family. Why?

Lastly, portrayal of males was 1 dimensional and unbalanced. We see the sociopath, the nice but weak guy, the main doctor, and the strangely helpful but random older man. But we don't have the presence of one strong male in Agnes' life. That would have made this movie much better and more balanced.

Without that, you get a gut punch of having watched something really terrible happen to a nice person without any real good explanation and without enough redemption.

As such, it was unpleasant without enough redemption.