🔗 Share this article Baby Review: An Astute Depiction of LGBTQ+ Brazilian Hustlers Adrift in the Established Order Channelling the metropolitan unease and pulsating life of São Paulo, filmmaker Caetano's bracing drama focuses on those who inhabit the outskirts of an ever-changing metropolis. Newly freed from juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (João Pedro Mariano) stands at a pivotal juncture; deserted by his parents, the impressionable young man discovers refuge in the arms of others. On an late-night excursion with his lively group of gay and non-binary friends, Wellington meets Ronaldo (actor Ricardo Teodoro), a muscular, charming hustler over double his age. Shrouded in the pulsating light of a adult movie theater, their first meeting is intimate and charged, with an edge of danger. Ronaldo quickly introduces Wellington to the shadowy world of the sex trade and drug dealing. A Study of Empathy Instead of Exploitation Caetano depicts Wellington’s new life of crime with tender empathy rather than as a exploitative warning story. Now going by the name of Baby, he enters his commercial trysts with cocky bravado and poignant gullibility. To his patrons, Wellington provides not just his youth and his body, but also instances of tenderness. In the feverish excitement of São Paulo, overflowing with crowded backstreets and vibrant storefronts, there’s a deep-seated solitude, as rootless people grasp at one another for temporary happiness. "The city might be riddled with risk, yet they are where they can find their own family, too." A Complex Relationship of Affection and Power Ronaldo is simultaneously a partner and a protective father figure to Wellington, but their connection is thrown off course by envy and monetary insecurity. Intimidation from shady figures in the shadow economy pale in comparison to the anxiety about institutional observation and imprisonment, represented by the hovering figures of police officers in the area. Baby is particularly impactful as a keen observation of the forgotten souls who have been failed by the established structure. The film ultimately serves as a poignant examination into survival, chosen family, and the search for self within a unforgiving urban landscape.