Sorry, Baby is a film about trauma, but by choosing to focus on the person and not the events, it delivers a dramedy unlike anything that came before.
Sorry, Baby is a film about Agnes. See, something bad happened to Agnes. But life goes on…for everyone around her, at least. That is the synopsis of the film and it was all I knew going in. The vague nature left me adequately unprepared for what I was about to watch.
Sorry, Baby is the directorial debut of Eva Victor, who also wrote the film and stars as main character Agnes. Victor shines on all fronts as they present us with a sharply written tale about the horrors and beauty of life while never losing focus on the humanity that binds the film together. The film is filled with thought-provoking direction that forces you to feel and dares you to think.
We follow Agnes as she navigates the before and after of a truly horrific event. While most other filmmakers would use tragedy for dramatic effect or as a plot device, Eva Victor chooses to frame it from the perspective of the audience, which allows the story the freedom to be human. Human in the sense that it explores Agnes as a person, as someone more than just a victim. It allows the film to be humorous, awkward, poignant, bold and affectionate, complex in the way that life is.
While it is easy to praise the brilliance of Eva Victor for the success of this film, they are aided by a stacked cast that features vital performances from the likes of Lucas Hedges, John Carroll Lynch, and the brilliant Naomi Ackie. These characters are pivotal in breathing life into Agnes as well as showing the people around her are moving forward while she is unable to fully move past things.
While the subject matter of the film is heavy, the film itself plays as a dramedy, a tonal balance that Victor nails using situational humor that stems from the very real absurdity of people. At times, the humor is grim but drenched in realism to where it is horrifically relatable.
Overall, Sorry, Baby lives up to all the hype it received coming out of Sundance and Eva Victor has proven to be one to watch moving forward. A very impressive freshman feature that goes toe to toe with the year’s best and is one of my personal favorites of the year.
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