When it comes to movies, there are few things more exciting than discovering a brilliant new talent. It’s the exhilarating feeling that sweeps through you as you realize you’re watching something very special, something only one person could pull off and it’s a miracle that they did. It’s the feeling I got while watching Sorry, Baby, Eva Victor’s feature directorial debut that made its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year and will be released by A24 this weekend.

Also written by and starring Victor (who uses they/she pronouns), Sorry, Baby walks the difficult тιԍнтrope between comedy and tragedy with a steady approach that seems almost effortless. In following one person’s journey toward healing, Victor gives their protagonist so much grace while never treating her with kid gloves. I found myself laughing just as much as I was struck by heavy emotions; this is a movie that will make you feel everything.

Sorry, Baby Takes A Smart, Effective Approach To Trauma

Victor Stages Everything Sensitively

Sorry, Baby picks up in what is deemed “The Year with the Baby” before jumping back in time to show us how the lead character, Agnes (Victor), ended up where she is. During these initial scenes, Agnes enjoys a much-needed visit from her best friend Lydie (an excellent Naomi Ackie), who used to live with Agnes during grad school but has since moved on to get married and, as we soon learn, have a baby.

Sorry, Baby is primarily about Agnes’ journey, but to me, her friendship with Lydie became the highlight. Victor’s dialogue is realistic and tinged with the sweet familiarity that only best friends can share. It’s quite clear that something bad has happened to Agnes in recent years, and there are enough clues that we can begin to piece it together. Lydie is a stabilizing presence for Agnes, the kind of friend willing to do everything from accompanying her to a doctor’s appointment to torching a man’s office. The ease with which Agnes and Lydie interact is achingly beautiful.

Agnes and Lydie have a nice weekend together that involves reuniting with their former classmates, an encounter that dredges up some bad memories for Agnes. When it’s time for Lydie to go, she asks one thing of Agnes: for her to not kill herself. Agnes insists she won’t, and we go back in time to “The Year with the Bad Thing.”

Victor stages the incident itself brilliantly, which is to say they don’t show it at all. Agnes was Sєxually ᴀssaulted by her faculty advisor, yet when it occurred, we’re left outside his house, watching time pᴀss. The sounds of children playing and the sight of two people walking by presents a devastating contrast with what we know is happening inside. Up to that point, Victor gives enough clues to make it all clear, and then later, after Agnes takes a long walk back to her car, she tells Lydie everything in devastating detail.

Every Part Of Sorry, Baby Works Well Together

Victor Has Created Something Lasting

As Agnes, Victor is incredible. She weaves between awkward humor and bone-deep hurt, painting a complex portrait of a person healing from a traumatic event. In the years that follow, Agnes carries what happened with her everywhere, whether it be while at jury duty or getting settled in a new job. Victor shows a deft hand here as well, subtly nudging us to take notice of the things that trigger her; never has the word “extraordinary” seemed more nefarious.

And yet, Agnes is far from destroyed. Sorry, Baby isn’t as agonizing as its premise would make it seem; there is plenty of humor and heart, demonstrating how recovery isn’t a straight line, and it doesn’t mean endless crying. Agnes adopts a cat and starts up a fling with her awkwardly sweet neighbor Gavin (Lucas Hedges), and she stays close with Lydie even as Lydie starts a new life elsewhere.

Victor has ᴀssembled an excellent team for this movie, including production designer Caity Birmingham, whose work on Agnes’ creaky New England house feels at turns invitingly cozy and ominous, and director of pH๏τography Mia Cioffi Henry. The long sH๏τs of Agnes driving away from her advisor’s house are unflinchingly gripping.

Sorry, Baby is the kind of movie that will linger and stick with you. It is far more than a story about trauma; it’s also about friendship and growing up, concepts that will feel deeply relatable to anyone. I’m very excited to see what Victor does next, because with just one movie, they’ve shown they are a talent to keep an eye on.

Sorry, Baby releases in select theaters on Friday, June 27.