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Evoking the metropolitan unease and dynamic spirit of São Paulo, director Marcelo Caetano's bracing drama zooms in on those who inhabit the outskirts of an perpetually shifting metropolis. Recently released from juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (the actor João Pedro Mariano) finds himself at a crossroads; left behind by his parents, the innocent young man seeks comfort in the arms of others.

On an late-night excursion with his lively group of LGBTQ+ and gender non-conforming friends, Wellington crosses paths with Ronaldo (Ricardo Teodoro), a strapping, magnetic hustler more than twice his age. Illuminated by the wavering neon of a XXX cinema, their introductory rendezvous is physical and passionate, with an tinge of peril. Ronaldo quickly introduces Wellington to the clandestine realm of the sex trade and drug dealing.

A Study of Understanding Instead of Sensationalism

The director portrays Wellington’s new life of crime with compassionate understanding rather than as a exploitative warning story. Now adopting the moniker Baby, he enters his commercial trysts with brash fearlessness and poignant gullibility. To his customers, Wellington provides not just his youth and his body, but also instances of tenderness.

In the electrifying chaos of São Paulo, teeming with busy lanes and colourful shopfronts, there’s a gnawing loneliness, as rootless people hold fast to one another for momentary bliss.

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

A Complicated Dynamic of Love and Control

Ronaldo is at once a romantic interest and a sheltering paternal presence to Wellington, but their connection is thrown off course by envy and financial instability. Threats from shady figures in the underworld pale in comparison to the anxiety about institutional observation and imprisonment, epitomized by the hovering figures of police officers in the area.

Baby is particularly impactful as a perceptive study of the forgotten souls who have slipped through the gaps the established structure. The film ultimately serves as a moving look into resilience, non-biological kinship, and the pursuit of purpose within a demanding urban landscape.