Eva Victor's directorial debut 'Sorry, Baby' has earned acclaim for its exploration of trauma and healing. The indie film premiered at Sundance, winning the Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award, and now its screenplay is available through Deadline's awards-season series. Victor stars as Agnes, a woman grappling with the aftermath of a sexual assault.
Eva Victor's 'Sorry, Baby' marks their feature writing and directing debut, centering on Agnes, who lives in a quaint home near a New England college where she once studied. The story unfolds in non-linear segments, blending gallows humor to depict Agnes's struggle after being sexually assaulted by her thesis mentor, Louis Cancelmi, during her final year of school. The assault is never shown directly; instead, it becomes an integral part of Agnes's life, leaving her seemingly stuck while others move forward.
Agnes, played by Victor, is on the cusp of securing a professorship in her old English department, taking over the office of her attacker who fled after the incident. Her college roommate Lydie, portrayed by Naomi Ackie, now lives in New York and is expecting a baby, offering crucial support. A caring neighbor, played by Lucas Hedges, also aids Agnes in navigating her trauma.
The screenplay was written by Victor during the Covid lockdown in a Maine cabin and remained largely unchanged from the first draft. Victor, known for their role in Showtime's 'Billions,' explained their motivation: “I found myself writing the film I felt I needed when I found myself in a similar crisis to Agnes. I didn’t want to write about violence or assault specifically as much as I wanted to explore how a person heals. What interested me most was digging into that feeling of being stuck, seeing people you love moving on, while you’re still caught thick in the bad thing that happened to you. I started out writing this for the person I used to be.”
Produced in part by Barry Jenkins, Adele Romanski, and Mark Ceryak's Pastel, the film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 2025, where Victor won the Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award. It later screened in Cannes' Directors’ Fortnight. A24 acquired the dramatic comedy in Park City and released it theatrically in late June 2025. The film has secured a Critics Choice nomination for original screenplay, a Golden Globes Best Actress – Drama nod for Victor, and Indie Spirits nominations for Best Picture, Best Screenplay, and Best Director.
