Filmmakers Caroline Suh and Cara Mones re-examine the case of Louis C.K., who was accused of sexual harassment in 2017. They explore his comeback and the unseen effects of this on the women who spoke publicly about his behaviour.
Out of the hundreds of high-profile men accused of sexual misconduct in recent years, the case of Louis C.K. stands apart. He was a beloved comedian, admired for routines that turned the male libido into self-effacing humour. Then, in fall 2017, The New York Times published in-depth allegations that he sexually harassed women. Once again, he stood out by swiftly admitting, “These stories are true.”
Six years later, filmmakers Caroline Suh and Cara Mones take a closer look at what happened. Their documentary seeks to better understand how C.K. got away with heinous behaviour for so long and how he staged a comeback soon after the scandal. Nine months later, he was back on stage and, within a few years, he was selling out large venues across the country.
Sorry/Not Sorry dwells strongly on the period from 2015 to 2017 when blogs and podcasts were increasingly dropping innuendo over C.K.’s toxic actions. Despite growing rumours, C.K. wrote and directed the 2017 film I Love You, Daddy about a middle-aged film director pursuing a teenage girl. The documentary raises questions over who knew what when, and how things might have gone differently. Sorry/Not Sorry includes extensive interviews with women who were prominent in raising accusations against C.K. and paid a hefty cost for doing so.
Suh and Mones lean into complexities and ask pointed questions to all the surrounding players about their own complicity. Sorry/Not Sorry holds up a mirror to viewers and forces us to re-examine our own belief systems.
THOM POWERS
Official Selection, 2023 Toronto International Film Festival