🔗 Share this article Baby Review: A Sharp Portrait of LGBTQ+ Brazilian Hustlers Adrift in the Established Order Capturing the urban restlessness and pulsating life of São Paulo, Marcelo Caetano’s bracing drama zooms in on those who exist on the margins of an perpetually shifting metropolis. Recently released from juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (the actor João Pedro Mariano) faces a critical turning point; left behind by his parents, the wide-eyed young man seeks comfort 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 muscular, charming hustler more than twice his age. Bathed in the wavering neon of a neon-lit porn cinema, their initial encounter is intimate and charged, with an hint of risk. Ronaldo quickly introduces Wellington to the underground scene of prostitution and drug dealing. A Portrait of Empathy Rather Than Sensationalism The film illustrates Wellington’s new life of crime with gentle sympathy instead of as a exploitative warning story. Now adopting the moniker Baby, he enters his commercial trysts with swaggering confidence and poignant gullibility. To his customers, Wellington lends not only 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 persistent isolation, as adrift individuals grasp at one another for fleeting joy. "The streets can be fraught with peril, yet they are the place where they can find their own family, too." A Complicated Dynamic of Affection and Power Ronaldo is both a lover and a protective father figure to Wellington, but their bond is sabotaged by jealousy and economic precarity. Threats from dubious individuals in the shadow economy seem minor next to the anxiety about institutional observation and incarceration, represented by the looming presence of police officers in the area. Baby is particularly impactful as a keen observation of the disenfranchised individuals who have fallen through the cracks the established structure. The film ultimately serves as a heartfelt look into resilience, chosen family, and the search for purpose within a demanding urban landscape.