Baby Review: A Sharp Portrait of LGBTQ+ Brazilian Hustlers Adrift in the Established Order

Channelling the city's relentless energy and pulsating life of São Paulo, Marcelo Caetano’s gripping drama centres on those who exist on the margins of an constantly evolving metropolis. Fresh out of juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (the actor João Pedro Mariano) faces a critical turning point; left behind by his parents, the innocent young man discovers refuge in the arms of others.

On an evening out with his rowdy group of queer and non-binary friends, Wellington encounters Ronaldo (actor Ricardo Teodoro), a hunky, charismatic hustler over double his age. Shrouded in the flickering glow of a adult movie theater, their first meeting is physical and passionate, with an edge of danger. Ronaldo swiftly initiates Wellington to the underground scene of prostitution and selling drugs.

A Study of Understanding Rather Than Sensationalism

Caetano depicts Wellington’s new life of crime with tender empathy rather than as a exploitative warning story. Now going by the name of Baby, he enters his commercial trysts with cocky bravado and touching naivety. To his customers, Wellington provides not just his youth and his body, but also instances of tenderness.

In the electrifying chaos of São Paulo, filled with bustling alleyways and brightly painted facades, there’s a deep-seated solitude, as adrift individuals hold fast to one another for fleeting joy.

"The city might be filled with danger, yet they are where they can forge familial bonds, too."

A Complex Relationship of Love and Control

Ronaldo is at once a romantic interest and a sheltering paternal presence to Wellington, but their bond is sabotaged by envy and economic precarity. Dangers posed by dubious individuals in the criminal underworld pale in comparison to the fear of government monitoring and jail time, represented by the constant sight of police officers in the area.

Baby is especially potent as a perceptive study of the disenfranchised individuals who have been failed by the established structure. The film ultimately serves as a moving look into making ends meet, found community, and the pursuit of self within a demanding urban landscape.