Cert - 15

Run-time - 1 hour 43 minutes

Director - Eva Victor

College professor Agnes (Eva Victor) deals with the trauma of being sexually assaulted by her former advisor (Louis Cancelmi), learning to do so at her own pace.

Agnes (Eva Victor) hugs best friend Lydie (Naomi Ackie) goodbye. Before driving off, Lydie checks that her friend will be alright. Hugging herself, not just because of the cold, Agnes assures her that she'll be fine, promising she won't die. She doesn't entirely believe herself.

A similar hesitant look is given at a reunion dinner for college friends when former advisor Preston Decker (Louis Cancelmi) is mentioned. It's clear that something bad happened in her past, but nothing is explicitly mentioned. As we flashback in time to "the year of the bad thing" Agnes is an English student at the same college she now teaches at. Each scene involving Decker is one of unease and tension, we know something is coming and when it does we don't see it.

The camera simply sits outside his house as day shifts to night in sudden jolts of increasing darkness before a shaky tracking shot follows Agnes pacing to her car, scared and trying to comprehend what's happened. From there, the chapter titles introduce us to each new year as Agnes continues to try and come to terms with the assault.

Victor, who also writes and directs in their feature debut, is stunning in the lead role. So much of the confusion, fear, pain and discomfort is hidden behind their eyes as they try to move forward in a world with little empathy from officials, particularly doctors and the college heads.

Yet, there's a consistent sense of hope throughout the film. Lightness and levity come through in naturalistic fashion, especially in the chapter titled "the year with the good sandwich" - a name which alone inspires a glimmer of optimism. A brief turn from John Carroll Lynch provides one of the biggest pushes of understanding. By this point it's been three years since the bad thing. It seems like a long time, but at the same time it's not. There's a warmth to the moment that's allowed to be dwelled rather than basked in.

There are moments of lightness throughout in the form of some welcome chuckles, such as the awkwardness on display as Agnes anxiously asks her neighbour Gavin (Lucas Hedges) if he has any lighter fluid, before a relationship forms between the pair. Yet, the events are still wrapped in a sense of mixed negative emotions to keep a consistent tone.

A scene involving questioning about being the victim of a crime for jury service is filled with empathy and multiple forms of restraint. Building up to something all the more powerful.

It's been almost a week since I saw Sorry, Baby and it's played on my mind well beyond having stayed after the credits to allow it to sink in. Whether viewed as a debut or not, this is a remarkably impactful look at coming to terms with tragedy, and the barriers and understanding which appear along the way.

Five stars