Let’s hear it for concise loglines. Contemplate the primary movie from Eva Victor, comic and social media star, who makes a fully main debut together with her “Sorry, Child.” Per official press supplies and Sundance releases, the movie’s synopsis is: “One thing unhealthy occurred to Agnes. However life goes on… for everybody round her, at the very least.” Each easy and secretive, hinting at drama and revelations, and promising to root us firmly in Agnes’ world.
That’s definitely all true of “Sorry, Child,” however no fast hit of phrases might ever precisely convey the ability and efficiency of Victor’s debut, a darkly humorous and enormously tender movie that, sure, is about what occurs after the worst happens, however with loads of room to weave the sunshine subsequent to the darkish. One thing unhealthy occurs to Agnes, however Victor is a sensible sufficient creator to grasp that’s solely a part of the story, as a result of that’s solely a part of life itself. And whereas Victor’s movie could be rooted particularly in Agnes’ story and the unhealthy factor at its middle, in its specificity, there’s nonetheless large room for wider recognition and and revelation.
In any case, haven’t all of us had one thing unhealthy occur to us? And didn’t life go on?
Informed in a sequence of titled chapters — we open with “The 12 months with the Child” — the movie begins after the unhealthy factor in query occurred. Agnes (Victor; of notice, each the filmmaker and their character use she/they pronouns) lives a quiet life in the identical New England city the place she attended graduate faculty, and the movie begins with a much-needed go to from her finest pal Lydie (Naomi Ackie), who way back left New England, grad faculty, and Agnes to forge her personal life in New York Metropolis. Lydie has moved ahead, whereas Agnes nonetheless lives in the identical nation cottage the BFFs occupied throughout faculty.
Agnes is thrilled by Lydie’s return, however whereas “Sorry, Child” opens on a notice of pleasure, with the chums immediately slipping again into their lovingly established relationship, there’s a contact of restraint to Victor’s efficiency that tickles. Why hasn’t Agnes left? Why does Lydie have to come back see Agnes? And, gosh, what’s the take care of the remainder of their graduating class (together with a desperately humorous Kelly McCormack, whose animus towards Agnes is each comprehensible and really amusing)? Lydie has include information: she and her associate are pregnant (Agnes’ good response: “Are you going to call it Agnes?”).
Victor’s subsequent chapter takes us again in time, simply earlier than the unhealthy factor, with Victor exactly recalibrating their efficiency to a youthful, extra free, much less afraid Agnes. Each variations of Agnes are plausible and actual — in recognizing Victor’s fantastic writing and directing, let’s not ignore their extremely fine-tuned efficiency, even Victor’s posture can convey a whole story — and it’s placing to see how Agnes has modified through the years, and the way we are able to nonetheless see their essence and verve in each body.
What’s going to occur may really feel clear the second a winsomely raveled Louis Cancelmi blows into Agnes and Lydie’s seminar room, a preferred professor who’s method too fascinated with what his college students consider his personal work, however Victor nonetheless finds new methods to deal with it. “The 12 months with the Dangerous Factor” (we received’t spoil each chapter, however every revolves round a key second we see within the movie, from good sandwiches to massive questions) doesn’t skimp on the badness, however with a compelling mixture of humor (Victor’s deadpan observational gags make even probably the most terrible of cases humorous) and a deep empathy for what has occurred (a lot of it care of Ackie’s Lydie, a gem of a finest pal).
Even within the speedy aftermath of Agnes’ unhealthy factor, Victor doesn’t draw back from life’s humorous method of maintaining the absurd, the mundane, the ridiculous. Occasions as fraught as reporting her assault to the varsity (with two dead-faced feminine directors who ape understanding by merely repeating, “We’re ladies”) are each wacky and heartbreaking, and Victor could be the one presently working filmmaker adept sufficient to make use of a jury obligation summons as a possibility for a number of acts of self-actualization and -identification.
What’s maybe most placing about “Sorry, Child” is the thread of real humanity and empathy that runs straight by it. Regardless of what has occurred to Agnes, good issues nonetheless adopted: Lydie fell in love, acquired married, and is about to be a mom, whereas Agnes proved herself to be a loyal and admired professor and possibly even discovered a paramour within the shy man subsequent door (a captivating Lucas Hedges). (Additionally good: Agnes’ discovery of a tiny kitten, an instance of the so-called Cat Distribution System that speaks to the movie’s curiosity in serendipity.)
One thing unhealthy occurred to Agnes. However life goes on. Massive, fantastic, humorous, horrible, unusual, unhappy, nice life. How fortunate we’re that Victor is right here to chronicle simply that.
Grade: A-
“Sorry, Child” premiered on the 2025 Sundance Movie Competition. It’s presently looking for U.S. distribution.
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