Channelling the metropolitan unease and vibrancy of São Paulo, Marcelo Caetano’s bracing drama centres on those who live on the fringes of an ever-changing metropolis. Newly freed from juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (João Pedro Mariano) finds himself at a crossroads; deserted by his parents, the impressionable young man finds solace in the arms of others.
On an night on the town with his boisterous group of gay and non-binary friends, Wellington encounters Ronaldo (actor Ricardo Teodoro), a hunky, charismatic hustler over double his age. Shrouded in the pulsating light of a neon-lit porn cinema, their initial encounter is physical and passionate, with an tinge of peril. Ronaldo promptly ushers Wellington to the underground scene of the sex trade and narcotics trafficking.
Caetano depicts Wellington’s new life of crime with tender empathy instead of as a melodramatic morality play. Now using the alias Baby, he enters his commercial trysts with swaggering confidence and touching naivety. To his clients, Wellington provides not just his youth and his body, but also fleeting acts of kindness.
In the hectic energy of São Paulo, overflowing with bustling alleyways and brightly painted facades, there’s a gnawing loneliness, as unmoored souls cling on to one another for temporary happiness.
"The urban landscape might be riddled with risk, yet they are the place where they can discover chosen kin, too."
Ronaldo is simultaneously a partner and a sheltering paternal presence to Wellington, but their bond is sabotaged by envy and economic precarity. Threats from nefarious characters in the criminal underworld pale in comparison to the dread of institutional observation and imprisonment, epitomized by the constant sight of police officers on patrol.
Baby is particularly impactful as a perceptive study of the forgotten souls who have been failed by the established structure. The film stands as a moving examination into survival, chosen family, and the pursuit of identity within a demanding urban landscape.
Lena Hoffmann is a seasoned journalist with a passion for uncovering stories that matter, specializing in German current affairs and digital media trends.
