🔗 Share this article

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

On an evening out with his rowdy group of LGBTQ+ and gender non-conforming friends, Wellington meets Ronaldo (Ricardo Teodoro), a muscular, charming hustler over double his age. Illuminated by the wavering neon of a neon-lit porn cinema, their introductory rendezvous is sensuous and erotic, with an hint of risk. Ronaldo quickly introduces Wellington to the shadowy world of prostitution and selling drugs.

A Portrait of Understanding Rather Than Sensationalism

Caetano depicts Wellington’s new life of crime with compassionate understanding instead of as a melodramatic morality play. Now using the alias Baby, he engages in his paid liaisons with cocky bravado and poignant gullibility. To his clients, Wellington provides not just his youth and his body, but also fleeting acts of kindness.

In the feverish excitement of São Paulo, overflowing with bustling alleyways and colourful shopfronts, there’s a gnawing loneliness, as rootless people grasp at one another for momentary bliss.

"The urban landscape 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 simultaneously a partner and a protective father figure to Wellington, but their connection is thrown off course by possessiveness and financial instability. Intimidation from shady figures in the criminal underworld are overshadowed by the fear of government monitoring and imprisonment, represented by the looming presence of police officers on patrol.

Baby is particularly impactful as an astute portrait of the forgotten souls who have slipped through the gaps the established structure. The film functions as a moving examination into making ends meet, chosen family, and the pursuit of self within a harsh urban landscape.