When “Sorry, Baby” first premiered at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival, it seemed like a shoo-in for awards season success. It was emotionally moving, had some of the highest critical acclaim of the year, and was the film with the most fervent passion exiting the festival. Yet, as the year progressed, the film gradually dropped off as an awards contender, through no fault of its own. The sheer number of fall festival contenders, combined with the sensational successes of “Sinners,” “One Battle After Another,” “Hamnet,” and “Marty Supreme,” has had the unfortunate effect of pushing “Sorry, Baby” out as a bona fide Oscar contender. It is uncertain at this point if the film will even receive a single Oscar nomination, considering A24 has “Marty Supreme” as an across-the-board awards player, and “The Smashing Machine” and “If I Had Legs I’d Kick You” are Oscar vehicles for Dwayne Johnson and Rose Byrne, respectively. However, “Sorry, Baby” is one of the finest films of the year and does not deserve to be left out of the awards conversation whatsoever.
If you missed the film in theaters and haven’t had a chance to view it now that it is streaming on HBO Max, “Sorry, Baby” marks the directing and writing debut of comedian-turned-filmmaker Eva Victor. It follows Agnes (Eva Victor), an English professor who struggles to move on from a traumatic event inflicted on her years earlier. The film’s magic lies in its relentless humanity. It is only able to simultaneously crush your heart and provide immense catharsis by keeping every beat as subtle and understated as it would feel in real life. Agnes is one of 2025’s best film characters; yet, even to call her that seems disingenuous, considering how lived-in and clearly personal she is. The script balances the understandable devastation after the event Agnes experienced with earnest reflections about human relationships and surprisingly strong comedy. We all cope in different ways, and the fact that Victor’s screenplay toes this delicate balance of being humorous without ever undermining the pain at the root of this story makes “Sorry, Baby” one of the defining achievements of cinema in 2025.
However, will the Oscars recognize it as such? It pains me to say I am skeptical, but I nonetheless maintain that there is a path. The most likely category for “Sorry, Baby” to receive an Oscar nomination in is Best Original Screenplay. This is not only due to the film’s undeniable merit, but also because there is a wide-open fifth slot in that category that anyone could claim. It would be foolish to expect “Sinners,” “Sentimental Value,” “It Was Just an Accident,” or “Marty Supreme” to miss the lineup, but there is no clear 5th place at this point in the race. “Jay Kelly,” “The Secret Agent,” “Blue Moon,” and “Weapons” could all realistically happen in that slot, so why can’t “Sorry, Baby?”
Since “Sorry, Baby” is unfortunately ineligible for the WGA, the most likely awards the film could receive at this stage are a Golden Globe nomination for Eva Victor in the Best Comedy/Musical Actress category and possibly a few other nominations from the Critics’ Choice Awards. Victor does have the advantage of having the entirety of the film’s passion concentrated on them. Whether you like the script, direction, or lead performance of “Sorry, Baby,” you are praising Victor’s work. Their nomination is far from a sure thing, considering they would likely have to push out one of Rose Byrne in “If I Had Legs I’d Kick You,” Amanda Seyfried in “The Testament of Ann Lee,” or Kate Hudson in “Song Sung Blue” in order to get in, but it remains a strong possibility.
Another category that “Sorry, Baby” has potential to break into is the Critics’ Choice Best Original Screenplay lineup, as the Critics’ Choice tends to favor American contenders more than other award bodies—especially if they are critically acclaimed indies. If the film’s initial buzz from critics is any indication of how members would vote, it could easily fill an empty slot there. Love from the regional critics’ awards would be essential, as frequent appearances as a Best Original Screenplay nominee in those awards bodies could give it some momentum that culminates in a Critics’ Choice nomination.
However, there is one nomination that would give “Sorry, Baby” the best chance of breaking into the Best Original Screenplay lineup come Oscar nomination morning: Best Comedy/Musical Film at the Golden Globes. Now, this is not a justifiable pipeline in other years; plenty of comedies nominated in this category fail to manifest as Oscar contenders. But if this American indie can be embraced by an international voting body like the Golden Globes, “Sorry, Baby” is exceptionally well-positioned to sneak into a wide-open fifth slot as a passion pick. Achieving this nomination will be a difficult task, as there is no shortage of strong films running in Comedy/Musical this year. But if the rumors of “Bugonia” campaigning in Drama are true, “Sorry, Baby” would only have to edge out two of “Wake Up Dead Man,” “Jay Kelly,” “No Other Choice,” or “The Testament of Ann Lee” in order to get in. And if “Jay Kelly” is one of those films, then “Sorry, Baby” will have demonstrated strength over one of its biggest competitors in the race for a Best Original Screenplay nomination. If this does not happen, then “Sorry, Baby’s” chances become slimmer but not outright impossible if the film’s passion from earlier in the race is revived.
Ultimately, it brings me no joy to say that I am not currently predicting any Oscar nominations for Victor’s incredible filmmaking debut. However, I maintain that there is still a clear path “Sorry, Baby” could take to receiving some awards recognition. Hopefully, A24 runs a strong campaign for one of the year’s most emotionally resonant films, as this deeply personal piece of work deserves recognition for how masterfully it addresses sensitive topics with intelligence, nuance, humor, and grace. Nevertheless, no matter what its awards trajectory ends up becoming, no one can take away the fact that “Sorry, Baby” is one of the best films of 2025.
Have you seen “Sorry, Baby” yet? If so, what do you think of it? Do you think the Academy will take to it and put it in the Best Original Screenplay lineup? Could it go any further than that? Please let us know in the comments section below and on Next Best Picture’s X account and check out the team’s latest Oscar predictions here.
You can follow Amy and hear more of her thoughts on the Oscars & Film on X @AmyHayneKim
