🔗 Share this article Baby Review: An Astute Depiction of LGBTQ+ Brazilian Hustlers Adrift in the Established Order Evoking the urban restlessness and pulsating life of São Paulo, Marcelo Caetano’s unflinching 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 impressionable young man seeks comfort in the arms of others. On an night on the town with his rowdy group of queer and non-binary friends, Wellington crosses paths with Ronaldo (Ricardo Teodoro), a muscular, charming hustler significantly older than his age. Illuminated by the wavering neon of a adult movie theater, their first meeting is sensuous and erotic, with an tinge of peril. Ronaldo swiftly initiates Wellington to the clandestine realm of the sex trade and selling drugs. A Portrait of Understanding Rather Than Sensationalism Caetano depicts Wellington’s new life of crime with gentle sympathy instead of as a exploitative warning story. Now adopting the moniker Baby, he engages in his paid liaisons with cocky bravado and poignant gullibility. To his clients, Wellington lends not only his youth and his body, but also fleeting acts of kindness. In the hectic energy of São Paulo, filled with crowded backstreets and vibrant storefronts, there’s a persistent isolation, as rootless people hold fast to one another for temporary happiness. "The city might be fraught with peril, yet they are where they can find their own family, too." A Complex Relationship of Love and Control Ronaldo is both a lover and a guardian-like mentor to Wellington, but their bond is sabotaged by jealousy and financial instability. Threats from shady figures in the criminal underworld are overshadowed by the anxiety about government monitoring and incarceration, symbolized by the constant sight of police officers in the area. Baby is most powerful as an astute portrait of the lost people who have fallen through the cracks the established structure. The film stands as a moving exploration into survival, non-biological kinship, and the quest for self within a unforgiving urban landscape.