Remarkably deft for a feature debut—in terms of construction, tone management, and performance—Eva Victor’s Sorry, Baby defies definition. A friendship comedy that sneaks in real-life tragedy—or maybe a trauma drama that understands laughter is sometimes the only medicine—the movie keeps you on your toes with a rare combination of wit, emotion, and empathy.
In addition to writing and directing, Victor stars as Agnes, a literature professor at a small-town university when we first meet her. Agnes appears to leave a quiet, lonely life, interrupted by treasured visits from her close friend from grad school, Lydie (Naomi Ackie, a firecracker earlier this year in Bong Joon-Ho’s Mickey 17). The two have a crackling, caring rapport, powered by blunt honesty and sarcasm. We soon sense that Lydie has come to help Agnes hold a certain sadness. The middle section of the film flashes back to grad school to reveal the source—the actual event, which I won’t spoil here, is elided by a stunning set of long shots—before the film comes to a gently crushing conclusion set a few years in the future.
As Lydie, Ackie proves invaluable—a fierce mother hen—while Victor showcases a dexterity as Agnes that matches her filmmaking. Notice, when Lydie tells Agnes that she’s pregnant in the movie’s opening section, the notes Victor manages to hit in the space of a few seconds: genuine excitement, disbelief, then a final sideways glance that tells us Agnes knows their friendship will never be the same. Also featuring Lucas Hedges in a sweetly comic supporting part and John Carroll Lynch dropping in for a quick cameo and slipping away with your heart.
(6/30/2025)
