Reel Review: Eva Victor Depicts the Reality of Healing in Sorry, Baby
Eva Victor’s directorial debut garnered plenty of buzz coming out of the 2025 Sundance Film Festival, and now it’s clear to see why.
Sorry, Baby details the life of Agnes, a woman who experienced something horrible and is now trying to grapple with healing from said horrible thing. From grad school to her first full time job, her imperfect life feels so unbelievably real. As she tries to move on, she sees her peers succeeding in ways she doesn’t think she ever can. Though her career may be on track, Agnes struggles through her everyday in a nonlinear healing path.
Eva Victor has created a masterclass in screenwriting and tone with this film. She perfectly balances humor, sadness, seriousness, and optimism in a seemingly easy way. Each character feels like a person you’ve met or known your entire life. Naomi Ackie plays the perfect best friend, Lydie. She’s supportive in all the ways necessary but also pushes Agnes to grow. Lydie has a life of her own, but takes the time to be there for Agnes in a purely judgement free way.
One of the most gripping parts of this film is the structure. Bouncing between timelines, the audience experiences Agnes life through four separate years. The Year with the Baby, The Year with the Bad Thing, The Year with the Good Sandwich, and coming back to The Year of the Baby. This nonlinear structure allows you to follow Agnes’ journey through healing in a way that isn’t so drastic and shocking but rather real and comforting in a way. Each character serves a direct purpose and assists in Agnes’ healing journey, but their interactions never feel transactional or unimportant.
Sexual assault is something that far too many women have experienced, and its depiction in media has always been somewhat questionable. Victor is able to portray it in a way that is realistic but not overly graphic. By not showing any real violence, and refusing to give the assailant any more screen time than necessary, Victor puts the focus on the victim and her healing journey. The sensitivity she uses is refreshing for this subject matter.
Eva Victor has certified herself as a triple threat with Sorry, Baby. She can write, act, and direct a truly compelling and beautiful film about such heavy subject matter and make it look incredibly easy. Her balance of tone is absolutely captivating and will have you going from laughing out loud to crying silent tears in mere minutes. There’s not a wasted minute in this movie and she shows such great restraint in making something so subtly powerful.
Sorry, Baby is playing in theaters now.
