Baby Review: A Sharp Depiction of LGBTQ+ Brazilian Hustlers Adrift in the Established Order

Evoking the city's relentless energy and dynamic spirit of São Paulo, Marcelo Caetano’s bracing drama centres on those who inhabit the outskirts of an constantly evolving metropolis. Recently released from juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (João Pedro Mariano) faces a critical turning point; abandoned by his parents, the impressionable young man finds solace in the arms of others.

On an night on the town with his lively group of queer and non-binary friends, Wellington crosses paths with Ronaldo (actor Ricardo Teodoro), a muscular, charming hustler significantly older than his age. Illuminated by the wavering neon of a neon-lit porn cinema, their first meeting is physical and passionate, with an tinge of peril. Ronaldo promptly ushers Wellington to the underground scene of the sex trade and drug dealing.

A Study of Understanding Instead of Sensationalism

The film illustrates Wellington’s new life of crime with tender empathy rather than as a melodramatic morality play. Now using the alias Baby, he approaches his transactional encounters with cocky bravado and endearing innocence. To his customers, Wellington lends not only his youth and his body, but also instances of tenderness.

In the feverish excitement of São Paulo, filled with crowded backstreets and vibrant storefronts, there’s a deep-seated solitude, as adrift individuals hold fast to one another for temporary happiness.

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

A Complicated Relationship of Love and Control

Ronaldo is both a lover and a protective father figure to Wellington, but their connection is thrown off course by possessiveness and economic precarity. Intimidation from nefarious characters in the underworld pale in comparison to the fear of government monitoring and jail time, epitomized by the hovering figures of police officers in the area.

Baby is especially potent as an astute portrait of the lost people who have been failed by the social system. The film functions as a moving exploration into resilience, non-biological kinship, and the pursuit of identity within a demanding urban landscape.