The Film Baby Review: An Astute Portrait of LGBTQ+ Brazilian Hustlers Lost in the System

Capturing the city's relentless energy and dynamic spirit of São Paulo, Marcelo Caetano’s bracing drama zooms in on those who inhabit the outskirts of an ever-changing metropolis. Newly freed from juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (João Pedro Mariano) finds himself at a crossroads; abandoned by his parents, the wide-eyed young man finds solace in the arms of others.

On an late-night excursion with his rowdy group of queer and non-binary friends, Wellington encounters Ronaldo (Ricardo Teodoro), a strapping, magnetic hustler significantly older than his age. Illuminated by the wavering neon of a neon-lit porn cinema, their first meeting is sensuous and erotic, with an tinge of peril. Ronaldo promptly ushers Wellington to the underground scene of prostitution and drug dealing.

A Portrait of Empathy Rather Than Sensationalism

Caetano depicts Wellington’s new life of crime with tender empathy as opposed to as a sensationalist cautionary tale. Now using the alias Baby, he approaches his transactional encounters with swaggering confidence and endearing innocence. To his clients, Wellington offers more than his youth and his body, but also instances of tenderness.

In the hectic energy of São Paulo, overflowing with bustling alleyways and colourful shopfronts, there’s a gnawing loneliness, as unmoored souls cling on to one another for fleeting joy.

"The urban landscape can be fraught with peril, yet they are also the space where they can forge familial bonds, too."

A Complicated Dynamic of Affection and Power

Ronaldo is both a lover and a sheltering paternal presence to Wellington, but their bond is sabotaged by possessiveness and financial instability. Threats from shady figures in the underworld pale in comparison to the dread of government monitoring and incarceration, represented by the constant sight of police officers making their rounds.

Baby is particularly impactful as a perceptive study of the lost people who have fallen through the cracks the system. The film stands as a heartfelt look into resilience, non-biological kinship, and the quest for identity within a demanding urban landscape.