Cast: Ava Victor, Naomi Ackie, Louis Cancelmi, Kelly McCormack, Lucas hedges, John Carroll Lynch

Written and directed By Ava Victor

Release Year: 2025

Studio: A24

Audio description produced By: deluxe

Written By: (Submit Credit)

Narrated by: (Submit Credit)

What is It?:A young woman (Victor) navigates her life in the wake of a sexual assault.

Why it Works: I was guilty of using my phone during the movie, because I had such a hard time figuring out the intentional tone of the film. then, when I saw IMDb going with “dark comedy”, things made more sense. Sorry Baby is definitely a tone setting film for Ava Victor moving forward, much like we’ve gotten from other female auteurs looking to tell specific stories catered from their unique perspectives. Last years Babes certainly had a dash of that, as did Shiva Baby.

Victor has a very specific approach, like a young Pamela Adlon, with a frank nature, and leaning in on pointing out the obvious things in life and how silly the societal norms around them can actually be.

For example, the scene where she goes to see a doctor after her assault features the doctor being disappointed in her decision to shower, as that clears the DNA. Her response is deadpan “I’ll remember that for next time.” Eventually, she makes inroads to moving on, and forward, as it appears people have moved on anyway and she’s catching up.

It doesn’t feel like Ava Victor is specifically sending up this genre, or type of film, nor does it feel quite like she put awards races into consideration. It just simply feels like she was interested in making a film about something, and using that topic to channel her unique way of acting, writing, and directing, solidifying the reasons she should continue to do all three.

the supporting cast has a few standouts. John Carroll Lynch was a brief, but lovely addition, and Naomi Ackie has some really strong beats. Victor steals the show, most notably when she recounts what happened to her.

This film is not for everyone. While the actual assault is not shown, there are some flashbacks to the event we never saw, albeit brief, and the tonality might be jarring for anyone with a shared experience. However, this is how this character processes it.

The Audio Description: there’s a scene where victor’s Agnes is in bed, and her cat brings in “a present”. At first, she isn’t sure what it is, though eventually she figures it out. Then, she flips out. It might have been nice because it took a while for us to find out on the blind end. I don’t want to have a wildly different experience than the people I’m watching the film with. Other than that one moment, it was a solid track.

Why you Might Like it: It has a crazy high critics score, and has taken most who have watched it with its originality. Ava Victor is a breath of fresh air, and while I expect her to miss on the Oscar’s, she should enjoy some precursor love.

Why You Might Not Like it: The tone shifts. Plus, while the films official description shies away from what the bad thing is, I’ve told you, so you can appropriately decide if you will be triggered.

Final Thoughts: Ava Victor’s dark comedy doesn’t always work, but the bold styling keeps Sorry Baby ahead of the curve, and as one of the more audacious efforts of the year.

fresh: Final Grade: 7.7/10