By Gregory Crofton
“Sorry / Not Sorry” calls for justice for the women that comedian Louie C.K. has admitted he sexually harassed. Sorry, that’s just not possible in America.
Louie got away with it. He surely suffered from the public humiliation, and lost millions, he says, but it’s been seven years since it all went down and once again he maintains a successful career.
The comedian liked to masturbate in front of female comedians, either on the phone or in person in non-sexual circumstances. “Sorry / Not Sorry” details how this abhorrent behavior negatively impacted lives and careers of some of the women involved.
C.K.’s transgressive habit became publicly known when The New York Times published an article about it in November of 2017. Part of the story, too, was that many people in the comedy industry knew about his behavior for years but did nothing.
While it may not be the most scintillating doc, the strength of “Sorry / Not Sorry” is how it dissects what led to this type of complacency and why people continued to work with C.K.
Directors Caroline Suh and Cara Mones 90-minute doc is dry and reportorial because it’s based on The New York Times articles and features interviews with the reporters who broke the story. Thankfully the film also includes bits of stand-up from C.K. and others.
The directors are best at conveying with care the nuanced stories of the damage caused by the sexual abuse. They also emphasize that C.K. has not really apologized or made amends for his actions.
After staying out of the public eye for nine months, C.K. resumed performing at the Comedy Cellar in New York City in 2018. In 2022 he won a Grammy for best Comedy Album. Last year he sold out Madison Square Garden.
C.K’s version of an apology was to perform a recent tour with a “SORRY” sign at the back of the stage with massive lit-up red letters. He may be savvy, but he’s definitely not sorry.
Watch a trailer for the film below, visit its website here.