Baby Review: A Sharp Portrait of Queer Brazilian Survivors Lost in the System

Capturing the city's relentless energy and vibrancy of São Paulo, director Marcelo Caetano's bracing drama focuses on those who inhabit the outskirts of an perpetually shifting metropolis. Newly freed from juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (the actor João Pedro Mariano) stands at a pivotal juncture; deserted by his parents, the impressionable young man seeks comfort in the arms of others.

On an evening out with his boisterous group of gay and non-binary friends, Wellington meets Ronaldo (actor Ricardo Teodoro), a hunky, charismatic hustler significantly older than his age. Illuminated by the flickering glow of a neon-lit porn cinema, their first meeting is intimate and charged, with an tinge of peril. Ronaldo swiftly initiates Wellington to the shadowy world of sex work and drug dealing.

A Portrait of Understanding Rather Than Sensationalism

Caetano depicts Wellington’s new life of crime with tender empathy rather than as a sensationalist cautionary tale. Now using the alias Baby, he approaches his transactional encounters with cocky bravado and poignant gullibility. To his clients, Wellington lends not only his youth and his body, but also instances of tenderness.

In the hectic energy of São Paulo, teeming with busy lanes and brightly painted facades, there’s a persistent isolation, as unmoored souls cling on to one another for temporary happiness.

"The streets are riddled with risk, yet they are also the space where they can forge familial bonds, too."

A Complex Relationship of Affection and Power

Ronaldo is both a lover and a protective father figure to Wellington, but their bond is sabotaged by envy and financial instability. Intimidation from shady figures in the shadow economy are overshadowed by the fear of government monitoring and jail time, epitomized by the constant sight of police officers in the area.

Baby is most powerful as a perceptive study of the lost people who have fallen through the cracks the social system. The film ultimately serves as a poignant exploration into making ends meet, found community, and the search for self within a unforgiving urban landscape.