Sorry, Baby

In its intimacy and naked truth-telling, Sorry, Baby is the kind of independent movie that can seem like a gift.

Sorry, Baby, the feature debut of American writer-director Eva Victor, who also stars, is a clear announcement of an original new talent able to create highly inventive visuals with a limited budget. It is also a terrific — and sad and funny and contemplative — testimony about how trauma profoundly stains people’s lives, with far-reaching and unpredictable outcomes.

Sorry, Baby is funny, sad, thoughtful, and specific, a keenly observed portrait of a woman blown off course by a traumatic incident.

Shot on location in Northeastern Massachusetts, chilliness hangs in the air of every frame, but Sorry, Baby – a uniquely special thing – is suffused with warmth.

Its fragmented literary structure and Victor’s captivating lead turn cohere theme, form, and content, melding the elliptical episodes into a canny representation of memory.

If Sorry, Baby works, it’s because Victor strikes such a tricky tone: Her debut is warm and compassionate, advancing a conversation for which we’re still trying to find the words.

It’s a film about language in ways that are promising but more often exasperating.

Absolutely loved it! Trauma recovery, beautiful friendships, and kindness. Written, directed, and starring Eva Victor. Made on a 1 to 1.5M budget and purchased by A24 at Sundance for 8M. Barely distributed though. First perfect movie I've seen in 2025.

It definitely has some humour and raises a question. But quite frankly, the protagonist is a woman that most men would prefer not to meet "in private". The neighbour should have gotten her on record before getting involved with her. So overall unconvincing. My interpretation is that she plotted to get the teacher's job, and the choice of the director to stay out of the house at their meeting (which took hours, by the way) supports it.

A traumatic recovery for Generation Z, nothing new. It's just another perspective on trauma through humor, but nothing original.

Eva Victor not only plays the central role, but she also wrote and directed this film. She plays a teacher at a college with what looks like one small building. The film is divided into different segments that basically address the same issue shifting around different times. It doesn’t matter, because the story is flat and one dimensional. The primary flaw is that Victor has created a character who’s not likable or particularly interesting. Ironically, Naomi Ackie, who plays her best friend, has a more appealing personality. The incident that causes the turmoil is only described and never generates much real emotion. Hey, Eva, sorry, baby, I can’t imagine why anyone would be interested in your story. Of local interest, Victor directed the music video “Night Shift” for Richmond singer Lucy Dacus.

[SPOILER ALERT: This review contains spoilers.]