Let’s hear it for concise loglines. Consider the first film from Eva Victor, comedian and social media star, who makes an absolutely major debut with her “Sorry, Baby.” Per official press materials and Sundance releases, the film’s synopsis is: “Something bad happened to Agnes. But life goes on… for everyone around her, at least.” Both simple and secretive, hinting at drama and revelations, and promising to root us firmly in Agnes’ world.
That’s certainly all true of “Sorry, Baby,” but no quick hit of words could ever accurately convey the power and potency of Victor’s debut, a darkly funny and enormously tender film that, yes, is about what happens after the worst occurs, but with plenty of room to weave the light next to the dark. Something bad happens to Agnes, but Victor is a wise enough creator to understand that’s only part of the story, because that’s only part of life itself. And while Victor’s film might be rooted specifically in Agnes’ story and the bad thing at its center, in its specificity, there’s still tremendous room for wider recognition and and revelation.
After all, haven’t we all had something bad happen to us? And didn’t life go on?
Told in a series of titled chapters — we open with “The Year with the Baby” — the film begins after the bad thing in question occurred. Agnes (Victor; of note, both the filmmaker and their character use she/they pronouns) lives a quiet life in the same New England town where she attended graduate school, and the film begins with a much-needed visit from her best friend Lydie (Naomi Ackie), who long ago left New England, grad school, and Agnes to forge her own life in New York City. Lydie has moved forward, while Agnes still lives in the same country cottage the BFFs occupied during school.
Agnes is thrilled by Lydie’s return, but while “Sorry, Baby” opens on a note of joy, with the friends instantly slipping back into their lovingly established relationship, there is a touch of restraint to Victor’s performance that tickles. Why hasn’t Agnes left? Why does Lydie have to come see Agnes? And, gosh, what is the deal with the rest of their graduating class (including a desperately funny Kelly McCormack, whose animus toward Agnes is both understandable and very amusing)? Lydie has come with news: she and her partner are pregnant (Agnes’ perfect response: “Are you going to name it Agnes?”).
Victor’s next chapter takes us back in time, just before the bad thing, with Victor precisely recalibrating their performance to a younger, more free, less afraid Agnes. Both versions of Agnes are believable and real — in recognizing Victor’s wonderful writing and directing, let’s not ignore their incredibly fine-tuned performance, even Victor’s posture can convey an entire story — and it’s striking to see how Agnes has changed over the years, and how we can still see their essence and verve in every frame.
What’s going to happen might feel clear the moment a winsomely disheveled Louis Cancelmi blows into Agnes and Lydie’s seminar room, a popular professor who is way too interested in what his students think of his own work, but Victor still finds new ways to handle it. “The Year with the Bad Thing” (we won’t spoil every chapter, but each revolves around a key moment we see in the film, from good sandwiches to big questions) doesn’t skimp on the badness, but with a compelling mix of humor (Victor’s deadpan observational gags make even the most awful of instances funny) and a deep empathy for what has happened (much of it care of Ackie’s Lydie, a gem of a best friend).
Even in the immediate aftermath of Agnes’ bad thing, Victor doesn’t shy away from life’s funny way of keeping up the absurd, the mundane, the ridiculous. Events as fraught as reporting her assault to the school (with two dead-faced female administrators who ape understanding by simply repeating, “We are women”) are both wacky and heartbreaking, and Victor might be the only currently working filmmaker adept enough to use a jury duty summons as an opportunity for multiple acts of self-actualization and -identification.
What’s perhaps most striking about “Sorry, Baby” is the thread of genuine humanity and empathy that runs straight through it. Despite what has happened to Agnes, good things still followed: Lydie fell in love, got married, and is about to be a mother, while Agnes proved herself to be a devoted and admired professor and maybe even found a paramour in the shy guy next door (a charming Lucas Hedges). (Also good: Agnes’ discovery of a tiny kitten, an example of the so-called Cat Distribution System that speaks to the film’s interest in serendipity.)
Something bad happened to Agnes. But life goes on. Big, wonderful, funny, horrible, strange, sad, great life. How lucky we are that Victor is here to chronicle just that.
Grade: A-
“Sorry, Baby” premiered at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival. It is currently seeking U.S. distribution.
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