On our screens in 2025, there was no shortage of women overcoming seemingly insurmountable odds. Linda (Rose Byrne) in “If I Had Legs I’d Kick You,” Agnes (Jessie Buckley) in “Hamnet,” and Willa (Chase Infiniti) in “One Battle After Another,” are just a few examples. Agnes (non-binary Eva Victor) in “Sorry, Baby” (A24), is another.
Consider this a warning, even with moments of levity woven into its engrossing fabric, “Sorry, Baby,” written, directed by, and starring Victor, is not an easy watch. Like other movies set in the insular world of Creative Writing MFA programs, such as Curtis Hanson’s “Wonder Boys” and Todd Solondz’s “Storytelling,” it can feel a little off-putting. However, to their credit, Victor succeeds in peeling back that heavy curtain. Of course, that’s only one of the movie’s many facets.
Separated into five sections, and spanning a few years, “Sorry, Baby” begins with friends, and former grad school classmates and housemates Agnes and Lydie (the marvelous Naomi Ackie) reuniting in the New England town where they attended school at the fictional Fairport. Agnes still lives there, having been made a full professor. Lydie, who is now married to her non-binary spouse Fran (NB actor E.R. Fightmaster), and is expecting her first child, lives in New York. The two old friends pick up where they left off, covering a variety of subjects, including the difficulty of Agnes still living in the town and teaching at the school where something terrible happened to her years before.
The professorship that Agnes has was formerly that of Preston Decker’s (Louis Cancelmi). At dinner with Lydie and other fellow MFA classmates, including the despicable and needy Natasha (queer actor Kelly McCormack), they reminisce about their shared professor/advisor. The fact is, Decker sexually assaulted Agnes, who was his star student. The impact of that attack has left an indelible mark on Agnes, who struggles daily with the aftermath, especially following the way she was treated by a doctor, as well as some at the university, at the time she reported the incident.
Fortunately for her, Agnes, who exhibits a degree of social awkwardness (see the voir dire scene, for example), finds herself surrounded by good people who genuinely care about her. Aside from Lydie, there is Agnes’ neighbor Gavin (sexually fluid actor Lucas Hedges), with whom she begins a sexual relationship. He provides her with necessary support. Agnes also strikes up an unexpected friendship with Pete (John Carroll Lynch), a sandwich shop owner, who comes to her aid when she has a panic attack in the parking lot of his business.
Make no mistake, the primary reason for watching “Sorry, Baby,” is Eva Victor, who received a Golden Globe nomination for her devastating performance. Considering that this is also Victor’s directorial debut, you can see the promise of her prodigious talents. “Sorry, Baby” is currently streaming on HBO Max and Amazon Prime.
Rating: A-
