🔗 Share this article Baby Review: An Astute Depiction of Queer Brazilian Hustlers Adrift in the System Capturing the city's relentless energy and dynamic spirit of São Paulo, Marcelo Caetano’s bracing drama zooms in on those who exist on the margins of an perpetually shifting metropolis. Fresh out of juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (João Pedro Mariano) stands at a pivotal juncture; left behind by his parents, the impressionable young man discovers refuge in the arms of others. On an evening out with his lively group of queer and non-binary friends, Wellington encounters Ronaldo (Ricardo Teodoro), a strapping, magnetic hustler over double his age. Illuminated by the wavering neon of a XXX cinema, their introductory rendezvous is sensuous and erotic, with an edge of danger. Ronaldo quickly introduces Wellington to the shadowy world of prostitution and narcotics trafficking. A Study of Empathy Instead of Exploitation The director portrays Wellington’s new life of crime with compassionate understanding instead of as a melodramatic morality play. Now using the alias Baby, he enters his commercial trysts with swaggering confidence and endearing innocence. To his clients, Wellington provides not just his youth and his body, but also fleeting acts of kindness. In the feverish excitement of São Paulo, overflowing with busy lanes and vibrant storefronts, there’s a gnawing loneliness, as rootless people cling on to one another for temporary happiness. "The city can be fraught with peril, yet they are the place where they can find their own family, too." A Complicated Dynamic of Love and Control Ronaldo is simultaneously a partner and a protective father figure to Wellington, but their bond is sabotaged by possessiveness and economic precarity. Dangers posed by shady figures in the underworld are overshadowed by the fear of state surveillance and imprisonment, symbolized by the looming presence of police officers making their rounds. Baby is especially potent as an astute portrait of the disenfranchised individuals who have slipped through the gaps the established structure. The film functions as a poignant exploration into resilience, chosen family, and the search for identity within a unforgiving urban landscape.