Oct. 3, 2025
Quiet Revelations: The Intimate Brilliance of 'Sorry Baby'
In this episode of *Movies First*, Chris and Jessica dive into the groundbreaking independent film *Sorry Baby*, a debut feature that defies the typical labels often associated with indie cinema. Directed, written, and starring Eva Victor, the film follows Agnes, a character navigating life in a quiet university town, and is structured in clever chapters that seamlessly blend the present with poignant flashbacks. The hosts discuss how Victor's multifaceted role enhances the film's authenticity, allowing viewers to connect deeply with Agnes's evolving friendship with Liddy, portrayed by Naomi Ackie.
The episode highlights the emotional depth of the film, particularly a gripping scene where Agnes hyperventilates in her car, capturing the rawness of her struggles. Chris and Jessica explore the film's unique ability to balance serious themes of identity, sexuality, and trauma with moments of humor, emphasizing how Victor skillfully weaves these elements into everyday interactions. The supporting cast, including John Carroll Lynch as the empathetic Pete and Lucas Hedges as Agnes's neighbor Gavin, further elevates the film, bringing warmth and authenticity to their roles.
Listeners will appreciate how *Sorry Baby* transforms ordinary experiences into extraordinary storytelling, showcasing the subtle changes in Agnes's character over time. Chris and Jessica commend the film for its confident narrative structure and its ability to resonate with audiences on a profound level, marking it as a significant contribution to independent cinema. With a solid rating of 8.5 out of 10, *Sorry Baby* stands out as a vital voice in filmmaking, reminding us of the power of intimate and honest storytelling.
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WEBVTT
0
00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:01.840
Chris: Independent films often get labeled as
1
00:00:01.840 --> 00:00:04.760
pretentious or inaccessible. But
2
00:00:04.760 --> 00:00:06.520
every once in a while, a movie comes along
3
00:00:06.520 --> 00:00:08.560
that completely shatters those assumptions.
4
00:00:09.440 --> 00:00:11.800
Today we're exploring one that's changing how
5
00:00:11.800 --> 00:00:13.520
we think about debut features.
6
00:00:13.840 --> 00:00:16.319
Jessica: That's quite a statement. What makes this one
7
00:00:16.319 --> 00:00:16.800
so different?
8
00:00:17.840 --> 00:00:20.400
Chris: Well, it's this remarkable film called
9
00:00:20.480 --> 00:00:23.400
Sorry Baby. And what's fascinating is
10
00:00:23.400 --> 00:00:26.290
how the director, Eva Victor, manages to
11
00:00:26.290 --> 00:00:28.810
wear multiple hats. She wrote,
12
00:00:28.890 --> 00:00:31.210
directed and stars in it.
13
00:00:31.770 --> 00:00:34.610
You know how first time filmmakers often try
14
00:00:34.610 --> 00:00:37.610
too hard. This one just flows
15
00:00:37.770 --> 00:00:39.840
naturally. Hmm.
16
00:00:39.840 --> 00:00:42.450
Jessica: Uh, tell me more about how she balances all
17
00:00:42.450 --> 00:00:43.130
those roles.
18
00:00:43.530 --> 00:00:46.330
Chris: So the film follows Agnes, Victor's character
19
00:00:46.490 --> 00:00:49.490
in this quiet university town. And it's
20
00:00:49.490 --> 00:00:51.290
structured in these incredibly clever
21
00:00:51.290 --> 00:00:54.150
chapters with titles like the Year with the
22
00:00:54.150 --> 00:00:56.990
Baby and get this, the
23
00:00:56.990 --> 00:00:59.830
Year with the Good Sandwich. But what's
24
00:00:59.830 --> 00:01:01.790
really interesting is how it weaves between
25
00:01:01.790 --> 00:01:04.390
present day and flashbacks without feeling
26
00:01:04.390 --> 00:01:04.910
forced.
27
00:01:05.710 --> 00:01:07.510
Jessica: You know what's fascinating about that kind
28
00:01:07.510 --> 00:01:10.510
of narrative structure? It can either make or
29
00:01:10.510 --> 00:01:11.870
break a film completely.
30
00:01:12.590 --> 00:01:15.590
Chris: Exactly right. And here's where Victor shows
31
00:01:15.590 --> 00:01:18.510
her genius. She uses these chapters
32
00:01:18.510 --> 00:01:21.370
to explore Agnes's relationship with her best
33
00:01:21.370 --> 00:01:24.290
friend Liddy, played by Naomi Ackey, who's
34
00:01:24.290 --> 00:01:27.170
moved to New York. There's this, well, this
35
00:01:27.170 --> 00:01:29.090
palpable sense of distance growing between
36
00:01:29.090 --> 00:01:30.530
them that just hits you in the gut.
37
00:01:31.250 --> 00:01:33.050
Jessica: That kind of friendship evolution must
38
00:01:33.050 --> 00:01:34.450
resonate with a lot of viewers.
39
00:01:35.250 --> 00:01:37.330
Chris: Oh man. Especially when you see how it
40
00:01:37.330 --> 00:01:40.130
intersects with the academic drama. Like
41
00:01:40.210 --> 00:01:42.290
Agnes becomes a professor at her university.
42
00:01:42.930 --> 00:01:45.170
But there's this other character, Natasha,
43
00:01:45.490 --> 00:01:48.050
who's absolutely seething because she wanted
44
00:01:48.050 --> 00:01:50.660
the position. And then boom.
45
00:01:50.740 --> 00:01:53.260
Natasha drops this revelation that just rocks
46
00:01:53.260 --> 00:01:54.340
Agnes's world.
47
00:01:55.060 --> 00:01:56.980
Jessica: So how does the film handle these intense
48
00:01:56.980 --> 00:01:57.940
emotional moments?
49
00:01:58.980 --> 00:02:00.620
Chris: Well, there's this incredible scene where
50
00:02:00.620 --> 00:02:02.860
Agnes is literally hyperventilating in her
51
00:02:02.860 --> 00:02:05.040
car, has to pull over and, um,
52
00:02:05.540 --> 00:02:08.420
it's just raw and real. And then there's this
53
00:02:08.420 --> 00:02:10.740
jury selection scene that somehow manages to
54
00:02:10.740 --> 00:02:13.300
be both deeply serious and slightly amusing.
55
00:02:13.620 --> 00:02:15.380
You know, like those weird moments in real
56
00:02:15.380 --> 00:02:17.380
life where everything feels absurd.
57
00:02:18.170 --> 00:02:19.930
Jessica: That's such a delicate balance to achieve.
58
00:02:20.250 --> 00:02:22.250
Finding humor in serious moments without
59
00:02:22.250 --> 00:02:23.290
undermining them.
60
00:02:24.170 --> 00:02:26.410
Chris: Right. And Victor nails it.
61
00:02:26.810 --> 00:02:29.490
She's exploring sexuality, identity and
62
00:02:29.490 --> 00:02:32.250
trauma, but never in a heavy handed way.
63
00:02:32.730 --> 00:02:35.050
It's all woven into these small everyday
64
00:02:35.050 --> 00:02:37.210
moments that just land.
65
00:02:38.330 --> 00:02:40.170
Jessica: Let's talk about the supporting cast.
66
00:02:40.730 --> 00:02:42.610
Sometimes they can really elevate this kind
67
00:02:42.610 --> 00:02:43.530
of intimate story.
68
00:02:44.750 --> 00:02:47.550
Chris: Oh man, they're phenomenal. Naomi
69
00:02:47.550 --> 00:02:49.830
Aki as Liddy brings this incredible warmth
70
00:02:49.830 --> 00:02:52.470
and strength to every scene. And there's this
71
00:02:52.470 --> 00:02:54.990
character, Pete, played by John Carroll
72
00:02:54.990 --> 00:02:57.670
Lynch. He appears as this good Samaritan
73
00:02:57.670 --> 00:02:59.830
figure. And his performance is so authentic,
74
00:02:59.830 --> 00:03:01.590
it almost feels documentary.
75
00:03:01.590 --> 00:03:04.590
Jessica: Like that kind of naturalistic acting can be
76
00:03:04.590 --> 00:03:06.230
harder to pull off than more dramatic
77
00:03:06.230 --> 00:03:06.910
performances.
78
00:03:08.030 --> 00:03:10.670
Chris: Exactly. And what's fascinating is how
79
00:03:10.750 --> 00:03:12.830
even Agnes's casual relationship with her
80
00:03:12.830 --> 00:03:15.770
neighbor Gavin, played by Lucas Hedges, feels
81
00:03:15.770 --> 00:03:18.170
completely true to life. There's no
82
00:03:18.170 --> 00:03:20.690
manufactured drama, just real human
83
00:03:20.690 --> 00:03:21.370
interaction.
84
00:03:22.010 --> 00:03:23.730
Jessica: You know what makes these kinds of films
85
00:03:23.730 --> 00:03:26.290
stand out? When they can make the
86
00:03:26.290 --> 00:03:28.090
ordinary feel extraordinary.
87
00:03:29.130 --> 00:03:32.050
Chris: That's exactly what this film does. Like the
88
00:03:32.050 --> 00:03:34.610
way it handles time passing. You see how
89
00:03:34.610 --> 00:03:36.770
events have shaped Agnes through subtle
90
00:03:36.770 --> 00:03:39.050
changes in her behavior, her interactions.
91
00:03:40.030 --> 00:03:42.630
Victor's performance is so layered that each
92
00:03:42.630 --> 00:03:44.190
viewing reveals something new.
93
00:03:44.990 --> 00:03:47.070
Jessica: Well, it sounds like this film is really
94
00:03:47.070 --> 00:03:49.230
pushing boundaries in terms of storytelling.
95
00:03:49.950 --> 00:03:52.350
Chris: And here's the thing, it's not trying to be
96
00:03:52.350 --> 00:03:54.710
experimental for the sake of it. The
97
00:03:54.710 --> 00:03:56.470
structure, the performances, the way it
98
00:03:56.470 --> 00:03:59.150
handles complex themes, it all serves the
99
00:03:59.150 --> 00:04:01.510
story. It's like Victor understood that
100
00:04:01.510 --> 00:04:04.470
sometimes the quietest stories can speak
101
00:04:04.470 --> 00:04:05.150
the loudest.
102
00:04:05.960 --> 00:04:07.960
Jessica: That's quite remarkable for a debut feature
103
00:04:08.520 --> 00:04:10.200
to have that level of confidence and
104
00:04:10.200 --> 00:04:10.760
restraint.
105
00:04:12.040 --> 00:04:13.200
Chris: You know what's really going to be
106
00:04:13.200 --> 00:04:16.040
interesting? Seeing what Victor
107
00:04:16.040 --> 00:04:19.000
does next. Because this film, it's
108
00:04:19.000 --> 00:04:21.320
not just good for a first feature, it's good
109
00:04:21.400 --> 00:04:24.320
period. It's the kind of debut that makes
110
00:04:24.320 --> 00:04:26.440
you excited about the future of independent
111
00:04:26.440 --> 00:04:26.920
cinema.
112
00:04:27.720 --> 00:04:29.200
Jessica: Sounds like we might be witnessing the
113
00:04:29.200 --> 00:04:31.080
emergence of a significant new voice in
114
00:04:31.080 --> 00:04:31.720
filmmaking.
115
00:04:32.860 --> 00:04:35.380
Chris: Absolutely right. And in a landscape where
116
00:04:35.380 --> 00:04:36.900
everything seems to be getting bigger and
117
00:04:36.900 --> 00:04:39.220
louder, it's refreshing to see someone
118
00:04:39.220 --> 00:04:41.820
succeed by trusting in the power of intimate,
119
00:04:41.900 --> 00:04:44.780
honest storytelling. That's what makes
120
00:04:45.020 --> 00:04:47.780
Sorry Baby not just a great film, but an
121
00:04:47.780 --> 00:04:50.580
important one. We're giving Sorry Baby a
122
00:04:50.580 --> 00:04:52.140
score of 8.5 out of 10.
123
00:04:52.620 --> 00:04:54.860
Voice Over Guy: You've been listening to Movies First
124
00:04:55.020 --> 00:04:57.820
available. at Apple Podcasts, Spotify,
125
00:04:58.060 --> 00:05:00.820
iHeartRadio or your favourite podcast
126
00:05:00.820 --> 00:05:02.540
player. You can also stream on
127
00:05:02.540 --> 00:05:05.200
demand at bitesz.com this has been another
128
00:05:05.200 --> 00:05:08.040
quality podcast production from bitesz.com
0
00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:01.840
Chris: Independent films often get labeled as
1
00:00:01.840 --> 00:00:04.760
pretentious or inaccessible. But
2
00:00:04.760 --> 00:00:06.520
every once in a while, a movie comes along
3
00:00:06.520 --> 00:00:08.560
that completely shatters those assumptions.
4
00:00:09.440 --> 00:00:11.800
Today we're exploring one that's changing how
5
00:00:11.800 --> 00:00:13.520
we think about debut features.
6
00:00:13.840 --> 00:00:16.319
Jessica: That's quite a statement. What makes this one
7
00:00:16.319 --> 00:00:16.800
so different?
8
00:00:17.840 --> 00:00:20.400
Chris: Well, it's this remarkable film called
9
00:00:20.480 --> 00:00:23.400
Sorry Baby. And what's fascinating is
10
00:00:23.400 --> 00:00:26.290
how the director, Eva Victor, manages to
11
00:00:26.290 --> 00:00:28.810
wear multiple hats. She wrote,
12
00:00:28.890 --> 00:00:31.210
directed and stars in it.
13
00:00:31.770 --> 00:00:34.610
You know how first time filmmakers often try
14
00:00:34.610 --> 00:00:37.610
too hard. This one just flows
15
00:00:37.770 --> 00:00:39.840
naturally. Hmm.
16
00:00:39.840 --> 00:00:42.450
Jessica: Uh, tell me more about how she balances all
17
00:00:42.450 --> 00:00:43.130
those roles.
18
00:00:43.530 --> 00:00:46.330
Chris: So the film follows Agnes, Victor's character
19
00:00:46.490 --> 00:00:49.490
in this quiet university town. And it's
20
00:00:49.490 --> 00:00:51.290
structured in these incredibly clever
21
00:00:51.290 --> 00:00:54.150
chapters with titles like the Year with the
22
00:00:54.150 --> 00:00:56.990
Baby and get this, the
23
00:00:56.990 --> 00:00:59.830
Year with the Good Sandwich. But what's
24
00:00:59.830 --> 00:01:01.790
really interesting is how it weaves between
25
00:01:01.790 --> 00:01:04.390
present day and flashbacks without feeling
26
00:01:04.390 --> 00:01:04.910
forced.
27
00:01:05.710 --> 00:01:07.510
Jessica: You know what's fascinating about that kind
28
00:01:07.510 --> 00:01:10.510
of narrative structure? It can either make or
29
00:01:10.510 --> 00:01:11.870
break a film completely.
30
00:01:12.590 --> 00:01:15.590
Chris: Exactly right. And here's where Victor shows
31
00:01:15.590 --> 00:01:18.510
her genius. She uses these chapters
32
00:01:18.510 --> 00:01:21.370
to explore Agnes's relationship with her best
33
00:01:21.370 --> 00:01:24.290
friend Liddy, played by Naomi Ackey, who's
34
00:01:24.290 --> 00:01:27.170
moved to New York. There's this, well, this
35
00:01:27.170 --> 00:01:29.090
palpable sense of distance growing between
36
00:01:29.090 --> 00:01:30.530
them that just hits you in the gut.
37
00:01:31.250 --> 00:01:33.050
Jessica: That kind of friendship evolution must
38
00:01:33.050 --> 00:01:34.450
resonate with a lot of viewers.
39
00:01:35.250 --> 00:01:37.330
Chris: Oh man. Especially when you see how it
40
00:01:37.330 --> 00:01:40.130
intersects with the academic drama. Like
41
00:01:40.210 --> 00:01:42.290
Agnes becomes a professor at her university.
42
00:01:42.930 --> 00:01:45.170
But there's this other character, Natasha,
43
00:01:45.490 --> 00:01:48.050
who's absolutely seething because she wanted
44
00:01:48.050 --> 00:01:50.660
the position. And then boom.
45
00:01:50.740 --> 00:01:53.260
Natasha drops this revelation that just rocks
46
00:01:53.260 --> 00:01:54.340
Agnes's world.
47
00:01:55.060 --> 00:01:56.980
Jessica: So how does the film handle these intense
48
00:01:56.980 --> 00:01:57.940
emotional moments?
49
00:01:58.980 --> 00:02:00.620
Chris: Well, there's this incredible scene where
50
00:02:00.620 --> 00:02:02.860
Agnes is literally hyperventilating in her
51
00:02:02.860 --> 00:02:05.040
car, has to pull over and, um,
52
00:02:05.540 --> 00:02:08.420
it's just raw and real. And then there's this
53
00:02:08.420 --> 00:02:10.740
jury selection scene that somehow manages to
54
00:02:10.740 --> 00:02:13.300
be both deeply serious and slightly amusing.
55
00:02:13.620 --> 00:02:15.380
You know, like those weird moments in real
56
00:02:15.380 --> 00:02:17.380
life where everything feels absurd.
57
00:02:18.170 --> 00:02:19.930
Jessica: That's such a delicate balance to achieve.
58
00:02:20.250 --> 00:02:22.250
Finding humor in serious moments without
59
00:02:22.250 --> 00:02:23.290
undermining them.
60
00:02:24.170 --> 00:02:26.410
Chris: Right. And Victor nails it.
61
00:02:26.810 --> 00:02:29.490
She's exploring sexuality, identity and
62
00:02:29.490 --> 00:02:32.250
trauma, but never in a heavy handed way.
63
00:02:32.730 --> 00:02:35.050
It's all woven into these small everyday
64
00:02:35.050 --> 00:02:37.210
moments that just land.
65
00:02:38.330 --> 00:02:40.170
Jessica: Let's talk about the supporting cast.
66
00:02:40.730 --> 00:02:42.610
Sometimes they can really elevate this kind
67
00:02:42.610 --> 00:02:43.530
of intimate story.
68
00:02:44.750 --> 00:02:47.550
Chris: Oh man, they're phenomenal. Naomi
69
00:02:47.550 --> 00:02:49.830
Aki as Liddy brings this incredible warmth
70
00:02:49.830 --> 00:02:52.470
and strength to every scene. And there's this
71
00:02:52.470 --> 00:02:54.990
character, Pete, played by John Carroll
72
00:02:54.990 --> 00:02:57.670
Lynch. He appears as this good Samaritan
73
00:02:57.670 --> 00:02:59.830
figure. And his performance is so authentic,
74
00:02:59.830 --> 00:03:01.590
it almost feels documentary.
75
00:03:01.590 --> 00:03:04.590
Jessica: Like that kind of naturalistic acting can be
76
00:03:04.590 --> 00:03:06.230
harder to pull off than more dramatic
77
00:03:06.230 --> 00:03:06.910
performances.
78
00:03:08.030 --> 00:03:10.670
Chris: Exactly. And what's fascinating is how
79
00:03:10.750 --> 00:03:12.830
even Agnes's casual relationship with her
80
00:03:12.830 --> 00:03:15.770
neighbor Gavin, played by Lucas Hedges, feels
81
00:03:15.770 --> 00:03:18.170
completely true to life. There's no
82
00:03:18.170 --> 00:03:20.690
manufactured drama, just real human
83
00:03:20.690 --> 00:03:21.370
interaction.
84
00:03:22.010 --> 00:03:23.730
Jessica: You know what makes these kinds of films
85
00:03:23.730 --> 00:03:26.290
stand out? When they can make the
86
00:03:26.290 --> 00:03:28.090
ordinary feel extraordinary.
87
00:03:29.130 --> 00:03:32.050
Chris: That's exactly what this film does. Like the
88
00:03:32.050 --> 00:03:34.610
way it handles time passing. You see how
89
00:03:34.610 --> 00:03:36.770
events have shaped Agnes through subtle
90
00:03:36.770 --> 00:03:39.050
changes in her behavior, her interactions.
91
00:03:40.030 --> 00:03:42.630
Victor's performance is so layered that each
92
00:03:42.630 --> 00:03:44.190
viewing reveals something new.
93
00:03:44.990 --> 00:03:47.070
Jessica: Well, it sounds like this film is really
94
00:03:47.070 --> 00:03:49.230
pushing boundaries in terms of storytelling.
95
00:03:49.950 --> 00:03:52.350
Chris: And here's the thing, it's not trying to be
96
00:03:52.350 --> 00:03:54.710
experimental for the sake of it. The
97
00:03:54.710 --> 00:03:56.470
structure, the performances, the way it
98
00:03:56.470 --> 00:03:59.150
handles complex themes, it all serves the
99
00:03:59.150 --> 00:04:01.510
story. It's like Victor understood that
100
00:04:01.510 --> 00:04:04.470
sometimes the quietest stories can speak
101
00:04:04.470 --> 00:04:05.150
the loudest.
102
00:04:05.960 --> 00:04:07.960
Jessica: That's quite remarkable for a debut feature
103
00:04:08.520 --> 00:04:10.200
to have that level of confidence and
104
00:04:10.200 --> 00:04:10.760
restraint.
105
00:04:12.040 --> 00:04:13.200
Chris: You know what's really going to be
106
00:04:13.200 --> 00:04:16.040
interesting? Seeing what Victor
107
00:04:16.040 --> 00:04:19.000
does next. Because this film, it's
108
00:04:19.000 --> 00:04:21.320
not just good for a first feature, it's good
109
00:04:21.400 --> 00:04:24.320
period. It's the kind of debut that makes
110
00:04:24.320 --> 00:04:26.440
you excited about the future of independent
111
00:04:26.440 --> 00:04:26.920
cinema.
112
00:04:27.720 --> 00:04:29.200
Jessica: Sounds like we might be witnessing the
113
00:04:29.200 --> 00:04:31.080
emergence of a significant new voice in
114
00:04:31.080 --> 00:04:31.720
filmmaking.
115
00:04:32.860 --> 00:04:35.380
Chris: Absolutely right. And in a landscape where
116
00:04:35.380 --> 00:04:36.900
everything seems to be getting bigger and
117
00:04:36.900 --> 00:04:39.220
louder, it's refreshing to see someone
118
00:04:39.220 --> 00:04:41.820
succeed by trusting in the power of intimate,
119
00:04:41.900 --> 00:04:44.780
honest storytelling. That's what makes
120
00:04:45.020 --> 00:04:47.780
Sorry Baby not just a great film, but an
121
00:04:47.780 --> 00:04:50.580
important one. We're giving Sorry Baby a
122
00:04:50.580 --> 00:04:52.140
score of 8.5 out of 10.
123
00:04:52.620 --> 00:04:54.860
Voice Over Guy: You've been listening to Movies First
124
00:04:55.020 --> 00:04:57.820
available. at Apple Podcasts, Spotify,
125
00:04:58.060 --> 00:05:00.820
iHeartRadio or your favourite podcast
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player. You can also stream on
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demand at bitesz.com this has been another
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quality podcast production from bitesz.com
