Joey Magidson
It takes a deft hand to make sure that you’re laughing and smiling at a film that includes incredibly dark tragedy. Sorry, Baby is the rare kind of movie that mines comedy from very unfunny situations, while never disrespecting those who have gone through the same sort of awfulness. It’s also a calling card type of picture, which we also see nearly every year at the Sundance Film Festival. Plus, it’s one of the fest’s better titles in 2025.
Sorry, Baby is a dark comedy at times, to be sure, while overall being a drama, but it does have more humor than you’d expect, given the premise. There’s so much more to it than that, which the flick does a solid job of hiding. Consider that the official log-line that the festival provided is simply “Something bad happened to Agnes. But life goes on… for everyone around her, at least.” That’s enough to draw you in, sure, but it also only scratches the surface of what’s going on.
Told in chapters that jump around in time, this is the story of Agnes (Eva Victor). She lives in the small New England town where she attends graduate school. The first chapter we see has her being visited by Lydie (Naomi Ackie), who has left the area and announced that she’s pregnant. They’re close, for sure, but it does seem like she’s moved on in a way that Agnes has not been able to. Soon, we’ll find out why.
First, we jump back to their college days, which introduces us to their friends, as well as a popular professor in Decker (Louis Cancelmi). Then, the chapter with the bad thing goes down, which we won’t spoil. The aftermath explores how Agnes does and doesn’t deal with it, as well as how everyone else does. The more we see of how her friends are continuing on in a manner that she can’t, the weight of it all becomes clear.
Eva Victor has a quirky yet relatable presence about her, which really fuels the character. Agnes can be exhausting at times, yet you never doubt her authenticity. Victor imbues the role with all of the complexity of a real person, which is easier said than done. Naomi Ackie is excellent as well, breating life into a very good friend. Louis Cancelmi has less to do than the others, yet has to really nail his part, which her certainly does. Supporting players include Lucas Hedges and Kelly McCormack, as well as John Carroll Lynch in a one scene knockout of a performance.
Serving as filmmaker in addition to star, Victor has a voice that I’m eager to hear more from. The sequence with Lynch is incredible, while the ability to mine comedy from tragedy, while still ostensibly making a drama, is something to behold. Victor makes Sorry, Baby both singular and universal, which is the key to making it relatable. Whatever this storyteller decides to do next, count me in for.
Sorry, Baby is one of the better Sundance titles this year, and for good reason. The film looks at trauma in an amusing yet effective manner, weaving a path through quite treacherous terrain. This is a movie that could have gone very wrong. Instead, it’s one of the festival’s few flick that will have a long life outside of Park City.
SCORE: ★★★
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