🔗 Share this article Baby Review: An Astute Portrait of LGBTQ+ Brazilian Hustlers Lost in the Established Order Channelling the city's relentless energy and dynamic spirit of São Paulo, filmmaker Caetano's bracing drama centres on those who live on the fringes of an constantly evolving metropolis. Fresh out of juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (the actor João Pedro Mariano) stands at a pivotal juncture; abandoned by his parents, the innocent young man finds solace in the arms of others. On an evening out with his rowdy group of LGBTQ+ and gender non-conforming friends, Wellington meets Ronaldo (Ricardo Teodoro), a hunky, charismatic hustler significantly older than his age. Bathed in the pulsating light of a adult movie theater, their initial encounter is sensuous and erotic, with an edge of danger. Ronaldo promptly ushers Wellington to the underground scene of sex work and drug dealing. A Portrait of Empathy Rather Than Exploitation Caetano depicts Wellington’s new life of crime with tender empathy instead of as a exploitative warning story. Now using the alias Baby, he enters his commercial trysts with brash fearlessness and touching naivety. To his patrons, Wellington offers more than his youth and his body, but also moments of care. In the hectic energy of São Paulo, filled with busy lanes and colourful shopfronts, there’s a deep-seated solitude, as adrift individuals hold fast to one another for temporary happiness. "The urban landscape can be riddled with risk, yet they are where they can find their own family, too." A Complex Relationship of Love and Control Ronaldo is simultaneously a partner and a sheltering paternal presence to Wellington, but their relationship is derailed by jealousy and financial instability. Threats from dubious individuals in the underworld pale in comparison to the fear of government monitoring and jail time, symbolized by the constant sight of police officers in the area. Baby is particularly impactful as an astute portrait of the disenfranchised individuals who have slipped through the gaps the social system. The film functions as a moving look into resilience, non-biological kinship, and the quest for purpose within a unforgiving urban landscape.