Louis C.K. Is Ready to Forgive Himself. Are We?

The title of “Sorry/Not Sorry,” a documentary about the Louis C.K. scandal, makes the film sound like a hot-button exposé with the potential to be as controversial as the case itself. The offscreen infamy of Louis C.K. — his coercive and abusive ritual of masturbating in front of women, many of whom were his comedian colleagues — was first revealed in the mainstream media nearly seven years ago, amid the tidal wave of reckoning that became #MeToo. I thought: Is the film going to be about how Louis C.K. is now sorry…and not sorry? And what point-of-view will the documentary take?

“Sorry/Not Sorry” does deal with Louis C.K.’s reaction to the scandal: his message of apology that was never quite an apology; his carefully orchestrated comeback, after only nine months, via the comedy-club circuit (a comeback that ultimately encompassed his winning a Grammy for best comedy album in 2022 and performing a concert in the round at Madison Square Garden); and how he dealt with the repercussions of his behavior within his stand-up act (short version: He’s not sorry).

But that’s all covered in the last 20 minutes. Most of “Sorry/Not Sorry” tracks the 15 or so years leading up to 2017. During that time, Louis C.K. was becoming the most powerful figure in stand-up comedy, launching his fabled series on FX, and (offstage) indulging in his reckless behavior without fear of recrimination, because the whole comedy world was protecting him. The documentary is a production of the New York Times, and as directed by Caroline Suh and Cara Mones, it’s a meticulously sharp, responsible, and absorbing movie — an incisive study, really, of the sweep-it-under-the-rug culture that was firmly in place before the #MeToo revolution knocked some of its foundations askew. But the movie is also asking larger questions.

Early on, we see a clip from “Charlie Rose,” in which Charlie, seated opposite Louis C.K., tells the comedian that he’s…