For the record, Sorry, Baby<\/em> did indeed premiere at Sundance, winning the Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award. That accolade has previously gone to movies like You Can Count on Me<\/em>, The Station Agent<\/em>, and A Real Pain<\/em>, and Sorry, Baby <\/em>fits right in with those comedy-dramas that take an empathetic approach to people struggling on screen. These are well-crafted, character-driven films that endure beyond the sleep-deprived, star-studded festival bubble for years to come, leaving a mark more indelible than a bruise and delivered with a lighter hand. It\u2019s a wild feeling to be knocked over by something so tender, but Sorry, Baby<\/em> left me stunned. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Much of that is owed to Victor. For her first feature as a director, she has made a movie that is self-assured but absent ego. There are some really lovely compositions by director of photography Mia Cioffi Henry, both in the close-ups on the actors inside and in how she shoots buildings and trees in a small New England town in the winter. She pays close attention to people and places and time, which works especially well with how the film spans years, beginning and ending in the present.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Victor\u2019s screenplay starts when Agnes (Victor) is still recovering from a horrific event years in the past. Her world is small: she took a job at the New England university where she was a grad student \u2014 and where the trauma occurred \u2014 and she doesn\u2019t venture far outside of her home, her office, and the classroom. Meanwhile, her best friend, Lydie (Naomi Ackie) has moved out and on to New York City but returns to visit Agnes, with both delighting in the reunion. Their friendship is marked by emotional and physical intimacies that we should all be so lucky to possess, and Lydie remains an anchor as Agnes is still haunted by her past. Sorry, Baby<\/em> rewinds to \u201cThe Year of the Bad Thing,\u201d then moves forward year by year as the trauma grows distant in time but is still very present for Agnes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n As played by Victor, she\u2019s impressively smart and believably awkward. She\u2019s impossible not to like and to feel like you know, thanks to Victor\u2019s nuanced performance. As a director, they craft a whole world around Agnes, including fiercely loyal Lydie, jealous peer Natasha (Kelly McCormack<\/a>), and eager neighbor Gavin (Lucas Hedges). Even actors who only appear in a scene or two \u2014 like John Carroll Lynch, Hettienne Park, and E.R. Fightmaster \u2014 feel like their characters are real people. Sorry, Baby<\/em> is such an impressive work of humanism, endowing each of their characters with value as people and treating them with grace. <\/p>\n\n\n\n With tragedy ever present, Sorry, Baby<\/em> could be a real downer, but Victor brings a light touch that makes it a joy. The filmmaker knows exactly when to bring in humor that varies between gentle and sharp, serving as a balm to its darker elements. It\u2019s quietly funny rather than trying to be uproarious, except for a Ted Hughes joke that made me absolutely cackle. There are in-jokes and sly references for literature nerds, but it never feels like it\u2019s trying to show off. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Sorry, Baby<\/em> is something truly special. Victor has made a lovely little indie that is never overly precious or affected. Instead, it is precious what a treasure it is to watch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n “Sorry Baby” is out in New York and Los Angeles on Friday.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/crookedmarquee.com\/stage8\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/sorry-baby2-1024x576.webp\")
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