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What is the plot?
Agnes Ward opens the film by letting her longtime friend Lydie into the house she inhabits alone in a wooded stretch of rural New England. A gray cat named Olga pads across the kitchen floor as they settle in; Agnes carries a kettle while Lydie drops her suitcase and sits on the living-room couch. Their conversation moves from small talk into weightier terrain: Lydie announces that she is pregnant, the result of using a sperm donor, and the two friends trade memories and awkward jokes about parenthood. The moment is punctuated when their neighbor Gavin arrives briefly; he and Agnes exchange a casual, flirtatious rapport that makes clear they have been intimate. Later that evening the two women drive to see familiar faces from their old graduate program -- Logan and Devin -- and a woman named Natasha, whose tone is brusque and whom both Agnes and Lydie privately regard as unpleasant. At the gathering Natasha makes a barbed remark about Agnes's career, and Lydie answers with a cutting retort on Agnes's behalf. Before they go to bed, Agnes leans over Lydie's swollen belly and murmurs jokes to the fetus, addressing it as if she might one day be its other parent.
The narrative then moves back in time to the friends' years as graduate students. Agnes, Lydie, Logan, Devin and Natasha all sit in an advising group run by Professor Preston Decker, a charismatic literature scholar whose first novel earns him veneration among the students. During a private meeting, Decker lavishes praise on Agnes's thesis, complimenting her insights, and he hands her a first edition of Virginia Woolf's To the Lighthouse as a gift. He invites Agnes to his house one evening, explaining that his son is staying with his ex-wife so there will be no other guests. Agnes accepts the invitation and arrives at Decker's home. At some point during that visit Decker sexually assaults her. She leaves his house in a dazed, shaken state; the film shows her driving home in silence, her face a mixture of shock and numbness. Once inside her apartment she takes a bath and then confides in Lydie, telling her what happened in stark, painful detail that conveys the violation and the confusion she feels.
After Agnes reports the assault, the college community reacts in ways that complicate justice. Decker resigns or transfers his employment, removing himself from the institution's jurisdiction. When Agnes and Lydie meet with the college disciplinary board they learn the administration cannot proceed with an investigation or sanction because Decker no longer works there; the university tells them that it has no authority once he is elsewhere. Agnes sits with the aftermath of that encounter and sinks into a deep depression. During long, empty walks through the woods she finds a stray kitten and brings the animal home; she names her Olga. The kitten becomes a constant companion as Agnes moves through days that alternate between blankness and bursts of grief.
Anger returns alongside the numbness. Agnes confides to Lydie that she has thought about burning down Decker's office, a fantasy of retribution she describes with a dark intensity. She secures lighter fluid from Gavin, who is still a relatively new acquaintance at this point, and tells Lydie about the idea; Lydie offers to carry out the arson herself, but Agnes backtracks and decides against committing an act of violence. In a more complicated disclosure, Agnes says she does not want to press criminal charges against Decker; she explains that because he co-parents a child with his ex-wife, she cannot bring herself to take actions that might harm his family or make him an object of public ruin.
Time passes and the characters' lives diverge. Lydie moves to New York City and begins a relationship with a person named Fran. Back in New England, Agnes starts a sexual relationship with Gavin, who lives nearby. Their intimacy assumes a tender, sometimes comic tone: one evening they have sex and afterward share a bath; when Gavin shifts position Agnes notices his penis and makes a laughing, candid comment about it, which breaks the heaviness of the moment. Gavin sits behind her in the tub and wraps his arms around her, offering a kind of bodily comfort that contrasts with the earlier betrayal she experienced.
Agnes's trauma follows her into civic life. She is called for jury duty and, when questioned in court, announces that she doubts she can be impartial because of her experience being assaulted. She tells the judge that she does not believe putting someone in prison would necessarily make them better and that she does not want to ruin a person's life, especially if that person has a child. For these reasons she asks to be excused, and the court dismisses her from the jury panel.
At the college Agnes continues to teach literature part-time. In a classroom scene she lectures on Nabokov's Lolita, guiding students through the novel's complexities with quiet authority. After a term of teaching she is called into an office and told she has been recommended for a full-time position; the department offers her the job, and she is given the professor's former office -- the very space that had been held by Decker. The appointment registers as an achievement, but the professional advancement arrives tangled with old wounds. In a later encounter Natasha visits Agnes and, under the guise of congratulation, makes a stinging confession: she admits that years before she had sex with Decker in their student days and that she had expected something in return for that intimacy. Natasha delivers the observation with a tone of envy and cynicism, saying that in contrast Agnes seems to have benefited; she frames Agnes as someone Decker favored. The remark precipitates a panic attack for Agnes: while she is driving home she begins to hyperventilate and pulls over, overcome with anxiety and shame. A sandwich shop owner named Pete notices her trembling on the roadside. He offers Agnes a sandwich and sits with her on a bench; he speaks to her with straightforward kindness and listens as she tries to steady herself. They do not engage in therapy, but his presence calms her enough to continue.
As Agnes keeps teaching and working, her relationship with Gavin continues with intermittent intimacy and shared domesticity. In their more private moments they exchange jokes, physical comfort and small acts of care: he arrives on her doorstep; they have sex in her apartment; he holds her afterwards. Meanwhile Lydie builds a new life in New York. She marries Fran and the two of them welcome a daughter, Jane, born to Lydie via the sperm donor she announced earlier.
Back in the film's present, Lydie and Fran drive out to visit Agnes in the New England house. They arrive with baby Jane and plans: Fran wants to take a trip to the nearby lighthouse with Lydie, but they need someone to stay at the house and watch the child. Lydie asks Agnes to remain and care for Jane while they go to the lighthouse. Agnes agrees and takes the baby into her arms. She sits on the living-room floor with Jane, staring at her small hands and the roundness of her cheeks. Agnes speaks to the infant in a soft, measured voice. She tells Jane that she can always come to her -- that if the child ever has something she wants to say or a problem that needs telling, Agnes will listen. Agnes apologizes aloud to the baby for the fact of being born into a world where bad things happen; she says she is sorry that Jane will likely face hardships, and then adds that she hopes Jane will be safe and find ways to be resilient. The scene closes on Agnes holding Jane and murmuring these sentiments, her face conveying a mix of tenderness and sorrow.
Throughout the film no character dies; the narrative instead follows the aftermath of harm and the slow, uneven work of living after trauma. The final image lingers on Agnes in her house with Olga the cat and the sleeping infant in her arms, as Lydie and Fran return from the lighthouse trip and the small household resumes its fragile, ongoing ordinary life.
What is the ending?
At the end of Sorry, Baby (2025), Agnes is promoted to a full-time professor at the college and takes over the office formerly used by her ex-professor Preston Decker. Lydie gives birth to her daughter Jane and visits Agnes, who offers to care for the baby. Agnes speaks softly to Jane, expressing hope for her future despite the harshness of the world. Agnes begins a new sexual relationship with her neighbor Gavin, signaling a tentative step toward healing and connection.
The ending unfolds in a series of detailed scenes:
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Agnes's Promotion and New Office
Three years after the traumatic assault by Preston Decker, Agnes receives positive feedback from her part-time teaching role and is offered a full-time position at the same liberal arts college. She is assigned Decker's former office, a symbolic and emotionally charged space. The college administration appears unaware of the psychological weight this carries for Agnes. -
Confrontation with Natasha
During this period, Natasha, a former classmate, confronts Agnes. She admits jealousy of Agnes's success and shockingly reveals she had sex with Decker while they were students. Natasha insists it was consensual but dismissive, which triggers a severe panic attack in Agnes. Agnes is later helped by Pete, a compassionate sandwich shop owner, who calms her down after she is pulled over on the side of the road, struggling to breathe. -
Lydie's Return and Birth of Jane
Lydie, Agnes's old friend who had moved to New York, returns pregnant. She gives birth to a daughter named Jane. Lydie and her spouse Fran visit Agnes's house, and Agnes offers to look after the baby while they visit a nearby lighthouse. This moment highlights Agnes's growing sense of responsibility and connection beyond her trauma. -
Agnes's Tender Moment with Jane
Alone with the baby, Agnes softly talks to Jane, telling her she should always feel free to confide in her. Agnes offers a quiet condolence for the baby being born into a world where bad things happen but expresses hope that Jane can have a good life. This scene is intimate and tender, showing Agnes's fragile but genuine hope for the future. -
Agnes's New Relationship
Parallel to these events, Agnes begins a sexual relationship with her neighbor Gavin. This development suggests Agnes is tentatively opening herself to new connections and healing, moving forward from her trauma without erasing it.
Fates of Main Characters at the End:
- Agnes: Promoted to full-time professor, inhabiting Decker's old office, managing panic attacks but supported by friends, beginning a new relationship, and embracing a role in Jane's life.
- Lydie: New mother to Jane, visiting Agnes and maintaining their friendship, representing a link to Agnes's past and a hopeful future.
- Jane: The newborn baby, symbolizing new life and hope, becoming an important figure in Agnes's life.
- Natasha: Revealed to have had a complicated past with Decker, her confrontation triggers Agnes's panic but also exposes the complex dynamics of their shared history.
- Pete: The sandwich shop owner who supports Agnes during her panic attack, a minor but compassionate presence.
The ending is structured to show Agnes's ongoing struggle with trauma, her tentative steps toward healing, and the complex interplay of past and present relationships. It closes on a note of cautious hope, emphasizing connection, responsibility, and the possibility of moving forward despite pain.
Is there a post-credit scene?
The movie Sorry, Baby (2025) does not have a post-credit scene. The film concludes with a powerful and intimate moment where Agnes, the protagonist, is holding baby Jane--Lydie's newborn daughter--and speaks candidly to her, promising that Jane can always share her thoughts and fears with her without judgment. This scene serves as a poignant symbol of healing and openness after trauma, but there is no indication of any additional scene after the credits roll.
What is the nature of Agnes' relationship with her neighbor Gavin in Sorry, Baby?
Agnes begins a sexual relationship with her neighbor Gavin after the traumatic events she experiences, indicating a step in her coping and moving forward in her personal life.
How does Agnes respond to the idea of pressing charges against Decker?
Agnes admits she does not want to press charges against Decker because he co-parents a child with his ex-wife, and she feels that sending him to prison would not make him a better person.
What triggers Agnes' panic attack in the film?
Agnes experiences a panic attack after Natasha, a colleague, brusquely admits to being envious of Agnes' success and reveals that she had sex with Decker while they were students, which brings up painful memories for Agnes.
How does Agnes' role at the college evolve throughout the film?
After positive feedback from her part-time teaching, Agnes is offered a full-time position and moves into Decker's former office, symbolizing her reclaiming space and authority in the academic environment despite her trauma.
What is the significance of Agnes talking to Lydie's newborn baby Jane?
Agnes softly talks to baby Jane, offering condolences for being born into a world where bad things happen but expressing hope for a good life, reflecting Agnes' complex feelings about trauma, hope, and care for the next generation.
Is this family friendly?
The movie Sorry, Baby (2025) is not family friendly and is rated R due to its mature and emotionally heavy content. It deals with trauma, recovery, and complex adult themes including candid sexual dialogue and intense emotional moments, making it inappropriate for children and younger teens.
Potentially objectionable or upsetting aspects for children or sensitive viewers include:
- Emotionally intense discussions and scenarios related to trauma and recovery
- Frank sexual themes and dialogue without graphic imagery but with mature content
- Dark and unsettling realism mixed with moments of dry humor
- Scenes involving courtroom discussions and medical consultations that may feel heavy or distressing
- The overall tone is introspective and deals with difficult emotional healing processes.
The film is best suited for adult audiences or mature older teens who can process complex trauma-related narratives, and parental guidance is strongly advised for viewers under 18.