A strained mother/son relationship is at the heart and humor of writer/director Matt Nagin's six-minute comedic short film Sorry Mom, a film that opens with the narrator discussing his mother's recent death as he tries to process the loss. Over the course of the film's breezy six minutes, the story becomes a flashback of their complex relationship with son constantly trying receive the approval of his equally constantly controlling mother. It's a goal he never really achieved. 

Nagin reports his own mother's death from ALS as the inspiration from the film. It's these elements of authenticity that help drive the home with its heart and humor as Nagin takes the role of the son alongside Bonnie Schneider as his mother and Lucy Dou as the girlfriend who kinda sorta gets the mother's approval - at least until she doesn't. 

Sorry Mom, which premieres on March 1 on Youtube, was an official selection of Wavestock Film Festival, the Manhattan International Film Festival, and the All The Laughs Comedy Awards. The award-winning Nagin has crafted a sincere , easygoing, and relatable film even if it didn't always completely gel for me. 

As someone who also lost a parent in recent months, I definitely found Sorry Mom to be a relatable piece of cinema. Bonnie Schneider is a comedic joy as the equally frustrating and funny mother, her sincere intentions masked by an over-the-top nagalicious performance that makes her both a mother with whom it's exhausting to be in the same room and yet you also don't really want to stay away. 

Lucy Dou is a relatively brief yet memorable player here, and it's clear that Nagin is comfortable in the comedy world. 

Joey Sherrock's lensing is effective throughout Sorry Mom's running time and there's little doubt that those who find Sorry Mom on Youtube will find an awful lot with which they can relate. Be sure to check it out after March 1, 2026. 

Written by Richard Propes
The Independent Critic