Baby Review: An Astute Depiction of LGBTQ+ Brazilian Hustlers Lost in the System

Capturing the urban restlessness and pulsating life of São Paulo, director Marcelo Caetano's unflinching drama zooms in on those who live on the fringes of an constantly evolving metropolis. Fresh out of juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (João Pedro Mariano) faces a critical turning point; abandoned by his parents, the impressionable young man discovers refuge in the arms of others.

On an evening out with his rowdy group of gay and non-binary friends, Wellington encounters Ronaldo (actor Ricardo Teodoro), a hunky, charismatic hustler more than twice his age. Shrouded in the flickering glow of a neon-lit porn cinema, their initial encounter is physical and passionate, with an tinge of peril. Ronaldo quickly introduces Wellington to the underground scene of the sex trade and selling drugs.

A Portrait of Empathy Instead of Exploitation

The film illustrates Wellington’s new life of crime with tender empathy as opposed to as a sensationalist cautionary tale. Now adopting the moniker Baby, he enters his commercial trysts with cocky bravado and endearing innocence. To his clients, Wellington offers more than his youth and his body, but also fleeting acts of kindness.

In the feverish excitement of São Paulo, overflowing with busy lanes and brightly painted facades, there’s a persistent isolation, as adrift individuals cling on to one another for temporary happiness.

"The streets can be fraught with peril, yet they are where they can discover chosen kin, too."

A Complex Dynamic of Affection and Power

Ronaldo is both a lover and a sheltering paternal presence to Wellington, but their relationship is derailed by envy and monetary insecurity. Dangers posed by nefarious characters in the criminal underworld are overshadowed by the fear of state surveillance and incarceration, epitomized by the hovering figures of police officers in the area.

Baby is most powerful as a perceptive study of the lost people who have slipped through the gaps the system. The film functions as a moving exploration into resilience, chosen family, and the quest for identity within a unforgiving urban landscape.