🔗 Share this article Baby Review: A Sharp Portrait of Queer Brazilian Hustlers Lost in the Established Order Channelling the metropolitan unease and pulsating life of São Paulo, director Marcelo Caetano's gripping drama centres on those who inhabit the outskirts of an ever-changing metropolis. Newly freed from juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (the actor João Pedro Mariano) stands at a pivotal juncture; deserted by his parents, the wide-eyed young man discovers refuge in the arms of others. On an night on the town with his boisterous group of LGBTQ+ and gender non-conforming friends, Wellington crosses paths with Ronaldo (Ricardo Teodoro), a muscular, charming hustler over double his age. Shrouded in the flickering glow of a neon-lit porn cinema, their introductory rendezvous is sensuous and erotic, with an hint of risk. Ronaldo swiftly initiates Wellington to the clandestine realm of the sex trade and selling drugs. A Study of Understanding Rather Than Sensationalism The film illustrates Wellington’s new life of crime with tender empathy as opposed to as a melodramatic morality play. Now using the alias Baby, he enters his commercial trysts with cocky bravado and endearing innocence. To his customers, Wellington provides not just his youth and his body, but also fleeting acts of kindness. In the feverish excitement of São Paulo, teeming with bustling alleyways and colourful shopfronts, there’s a deep-seated solitude, as rootless people hold fast to one another for momentary bliss. "The urban landscape can be filled with danger, yet they are where they can forge familial bonds, too." A Complicated Relationship of Affection and Power Ronaldo is at once a romantic interest and a protective father figure to Wellington, but their relationship is derailed by jealousy and economic precarity. Threats from shady figures in the criminal underworld seem minor next to the fear of government monitoring and imprisonment, symbolized by the constant sight of police officers on patrol. Baby is most powerful as a keen observation of the lost people who have slipped through the gaps the social system. The film functions as a heartfelt exploration into survival, chosen family, and the quest for self within a harsh urban landscape.