Wedding comedy with difficult subject matter is serious business. It takes a deft hand to craft a film that intertwines laughter with trauma without coming off as insulting or pandering. Recent films such as Amsterdam (2022) and Don’t Look Up (2021), despite being made by skilled directors David O. Russell and Adam McKay, tried to skewer fascism and climate change but got killed by critics for tone-deafness. Even Jojo Rabbit, Taika Waititi’s 2019 dramedy, split critics and fans on its handling of the Holocaust.
This tightrope act makes Sorry, Baby, the debut feature by director-writer-star Eva Victor, even more miraculous. By reinvigorating what is possible with independent film, Sorry, Baby—released in select theaters June 27—is an often hilarious, frequently devastating look at, not only the aftermath of a sexual assault but also a woman’s place in academia.
More from Spin:
- The Rapture Revive For First Tour Since 2012
- Moby Ascends to a Higher Calling
- Pearl Jam Drummer Matt Cameron Steps Down From Band
Victor stars as Agnes, a young, acerbic, fully tenured English professor at a small but prestigious liberal arts college in New England. Told nonchronologically, the film tells the story of how Agnes went from graduate student to professor at the same college and the evolution of the friendships she forged there, as well as the sexual assault that redefined both of those things.
The film begins as Agnes is visited by friend and former classmate, Lydie (Naomi Ackie). They are exceptionally close, even sleeping in the same bed. During this visit, which is filled with sharp and funny dialogue, we learn that Lydie is concerned about her friend. Victor is a good observer of character, slipping hints into her dialogue, never outright telegraphing what has transpired in the past. It’s clear that Agnes is not okay, and Lydie knows it. Before leaving, Lydie asks her friend if they ever leave the house.
Sorry, Baby then flashes back from present to past, showing us Agnes before and after the traumatic event. However, Victor is wise to make an assault the centerpiece. The violence happens off camera. There are no Hollywood pretensions of revenge or forgiveness. Simply, there is Agnes—and Agnes’s suffering. Yet, Victor does not allow the protagonist to be defined by sexual assault.
This is a quiet movie about unquiet things. Victor packs Sorry, Baby with so many excellent and unforgettable moments, from Agnes’ awkward and honest sexual encounters with her neighbor (Lucas Hedges) to a wonderful cameo by John Carroll Lynch as a crusty but caring sandwich shop owner who comes across the protagonist while having a panic attack. A lesser movie would turn Sorry, Baby’s script into trauma porn or a melodramatic weeper. Instead, the film signals that Victor is a major new talent who knows how to tell a difficult story, one that doesn’t pander and somehow makes us laugh through the tears.
To see our running list of the top 100 greatest rock stars of all time, click here.
