Baby Review: An Astute Depiction of Queer Brazilian Hustlers Lost in the Established Order

Channelling the city's relentless energy and pulsating life of São Paulo, director Marcelo Caetano's unflinching drama centres on those who inhabit the outskirts of an perpetually shifting metropolis. Fresh out of juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (João Pedro Mariano) finds himself at a crossroads; 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 LGBTQ+ and gender non-conforming friends, Wellington encounters Ronaldo (Ricardo Teodoro), a hunky, charismatic hustler significantly older than his age. Illuminated by the pulsating light of a XXX cinema, their initial encounter is physical and passionate, with an tinge of peril. Ronaldo swiftly initiates Wellington to the clandestine realm of prostitution and drug dealing.

A Study of Empathy Instead of Exploitation

The director portrays Wellington’s new life of crime with compassionate understanding as opposed to as a sensationalist cautionary tale. Now going by the name of Baby, he enters his commercial trysts with brash fearlessness 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, teeming with bustling alleyways and brightly painted facades, there’s a persistent isolation, as adrift individuals cling on to one another for momentary bliss.

"The urban landscape can be filled with danger, yet they are where they can forge familial bonds, too."

A Complex Relationship of Affection and Power

Ronaldo is simultaneously a partner and a guardian-like mentor to Wellington, but their connection is thrown off course by jealousy and financial instability. Intimidation from shady figures in the underworld pale in comparison to the fear of government monitoring and incarceration, symbolized by the looming presence of police officers making their rounds.

Baby is most powerful as a perceptive study of the disenfranchised individuals who have fallen through the cracks the established structure. The film functions as a moving look into survival, chosen family, and the quest for purpose within a demanding urban landscape.