The Film Baby Review: A Sharp Portrait of LGBTQ+ Brazilian Hustlers Lost in the System
Evoking the urban restlessness and vibrancy of São Paulo, Marcelo Caetano’s bracing drama centres on those who exist on the margins of an perpetually shifting metropolis. Recently released from juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (João Pedro Mariano) stands at a pivotal juncture; deserted by his parents, the impressionable young man finds solace in the arms of others.
On an night on the town with his lively group of gay and non-binary friends, Wellington meets Ronaldo (Ricardo Teodoro), a hunky, charismatic hustler more than twice his age. Bathed in the pulsating light of a adult movie theater, their initial encounter is intimate and charged, with an edge of danger. Ronaldo promptly ushers Wellington to the shadowy world of sex work and selling drugs.
A Study of Empathy Rather Than Exploitation
The director portrays Wellington’s new life of crime with compassionate understanding rather than as a exploitative warning story. Now using the alias Baby, he approaches his transactional encounters with brash fearlessness and poignant gullibility. To his customers, Wellington provides not just his youth and his body, but also fleeting acts of kindness.
In the hectic energy of São Paulo, filled with bustling alleyways and brightly painted facades, there’s a persistent isolation, as unmoored souls cling on to one another for temporary happiness.
"The urban landscape are filled with danger, yet they are also the space where they can find their own family, too."
A Complicated Relationship of Love and Control
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 seem minor next to the anxiety about institutional observation and imprisonment, represented by the looming presence of police officers on patrol.
Baby is especially potent as a perceptive study of the forgotten souls who have fallen through the cracks the system. The film functions as a heartfelt look into resilience, chosen family, and the quest for purpose within a unforgiving urban landscape.