Culture
It’s alright to laugh: With its story about trauma, perseverance, and friendship, ‘Sorry, Baby’ is one of the standouts of 2025
By: Gordon Briggs
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Her name is Agnes, and she is a young writing student played here by the film’s director (Eva Victor). Even weeks after first seeing Sorry, Baby, I found myself thinking about her, wondering how she’s doing. That’s how effective this bittersweet movie is. In fact, it’s one of the best films of the year. This story tackles the difficult subject of rebuilding life after sexual assault with nuance, skill, and just the right amount of humor.
Here, we follow the story of an aspiring writer whose life takes a dark turn when she is assaulted by an authority figure whom she trusts. Years later, when a friend visits on the brink of a serious milestone, Agnes realizes how stuck she’s been since her assault, and slowly starts to rebuild her life. Such a premise could lead to another maudlin “trauma drama.” Thank heavens director Eva Victor goes in a more interesting direction.
Firstly, rather than being overly serious, the film is nimble enough to balance serious moments with touches of humor. For example, there’s a scene where Agnes is reporting for jury selection, and humorously discusses her assault as it might get her excused from jury duty. There are even moments of romantic comedy with her handsome neighbor, where we see Agnes want to be sexual even though it reminds her of that past trauma. In short, the film works just as well as a comedy as it does as drama.
Another strong aspect is Agnes’ relationship with her best friend Lydie, played memorably by Naomi Ackie. The movie works because the hangout moments between them are well-written and feel genuine. The movie doesn’t brush over their relationship, and the actors have an authenticity and a rhythm to how they talk to each other that makes them feel like actual friends.
As skilled as the movie’s acting is, Sorry, Baby also shows Eva Victor’s great technical skill as a visual storyteller. Setting her story in a small New England college town, the film not only gives you a specific sense of place but also shows how she chooses to depict both the crime and its aftermath. Specifically, the camera remains outside the house where the assault unfolds for an extended period, emphasizing the passage of time and creating an unsettling sense of what has transpired within.
Watching this one, I was reminded of the independent movies that came out in the ’90s, where a whole film would be built around watching a flawed but interesting person slowly trying to pull their life together. Hopefully, this is one of the smaller films that will slowly find a larger audience.
Rating: ★★★★