🔗 Share this article The Film Baby Review: A Sharp Portrait of LGBTQ+ Brazilian Hustlers Lost in the Established Order Evoking the city's relentless energy and vibrancy of São Paulo, filmmaker Caetano's bracing drama zooms in on those who exist on the margins of an ever-changing metropolis. Recently released from juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (João Pedro Mariano) faces a critical turning point; left behind by his parents, the innocent young man discovers refuge 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 (Ricardo Teodoro), a muscular, charming hustler more than twice his age. Illuminated by the flickering glow of a XXX cinema, their introductory rendezvous is sensuous and erotic, with an edge of danger. Ronaldo promptly ushers Wellington to the clandestine realm of the sex trade and selling drugs. A Study of Empathy Rather Than Sensationalism Caetano depicts Wellington’s new life of crime with tender empathy instead of 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 patrons, Wellington offers more than his youth and his body, but also moments of care. In the electrifying chaos of São Paulo, teeming with busy lanes and brightly painted facades, there’s a deep-seated solitude, as adrift individuals hold fast to one another for temporary happiness. "The streets are fraught with peril, yet they are also the space where they can discover chosen kin, too." A Complicated Dynamic of Affection and Power Ronaldo is both a lover and a protective father figure to Wellington, but their connection is thrown off course by envy and financial instability. Dangers posed by dubious individuals in the shadow economy seem minor next to the dread of government monitoring and imprisonment, represented by the looming presence of police officers on patrol. Baby is particularly impactful as a perceptive study of the lost people who have been failed by the established structure. The film stands as a moving examination into making ends meet, non-biological kinship, and the quest for identity within a unforgiving urban landscape.