The Film Baby Review: An Astute Depiction of Queer Brazilian Hustlers Adrift in the Established Order

Capturing the city's relentless energy and dynamic spirit of São Paulo, director Marcelo Caetano's bracing drama centres on those who live on the fringes of an ever-changing metropolis. Recently released from juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (João Pedro Mariano) stands at a pivotal juncture; left behind by his parents, the impressionable young man finds solace in the arms of others.

On an late-night excursion with his boisterous group of gay and non-binary friends, Wellington meets Ronaldo (actor Ricardo Teodoro), a strapping, magnetic hustler over double his age. Bathed in the wavering neon of a neon-lit porn cinema, their initial encounter is sensuous and erotic, with an tinge of peril. Ronaldo promptly ushers Wellington to the shadowy world of sex work and selling drugs.

A Portrait of Understanding Instead of Sensationalism

Caetano depicts Wellington’s new life of crime with compassionate understanding as opposed to as a melodramatic morality play. Now using the alias Baby, he approaches his transactional encounters with cocky bravado and poignant gullibility. To his customers, Wellington provides not just his youth and his body, but also moments of care.

In the electrifying chaos of São Paulo, overflowing with crowded backstreets and brightly painted facades, there’s a gnawing loneliness, as unmoored souls grasp at one another for momentary bliss.

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

A Complicated Dynamic of Affection and Power

Ronaldo is at once a romantic interest and a sheltering paternal presence to Wellington, but their bond is sabotaged by jealousy and monetary insecurity. Dangers posed by nefarious characters in the underworld are overshadowed by the fear of government monitoring and incarceration, epitomized by the hovering figures of police officers on patrol.

Baby is especially potent as a perceptive study of the forgotten souls who have slipped through the gaps the established structure. The film ultimately serves as a moving look into making ends meet, chosen family, and the search for purpose within a harsh urban landscape.