🔗 Share this article Baby Review: An Astute Depiction of Queer Brazilian Survivors Adrift in the System Evoking the metropolitan unease and vibrancy of São Paulo, filmmaker Caetano's unflinching drama focuses on those who exist on the margins of an ever-changing metropolis. Newly freed from juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (the actor 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 evening out with his boisterous group of gay and non-binary friends, Wellington encounters Ronaldo (Ricardo Teodoro), a hunky, charismatic hustler more than twice his age. Shrouded in the flickering glow of a adult movie theater, their introductory rendezvous is physical and passionate, with an hint of risk. Ronaldo quickly introduces Wellington to the clandestine realm of prostitution and drug dealing. A Portrait of Understanding Rather Than Exploitation The film illustrates Wellington’s new life of crime with compassionate understanding instead of as a sensationalist cautionary tale. Now adopting the moniker Baby, he enters his commercial trysts with cocky bravado and endearing innocence. To his customers, Wellington offers more than his youth and his body, but also instances of tenderness. In the feverish excitement of São Paulo, overflowing with crowded backstreets and brightly painted facades, there’s a persistent isolation, as unmoored souls cling on to one another for temporary happiness. "The urban landscape are fraught with peril, yet they are where they can find their own family, too." A Complex Relationship of Affection and Power Ronaldo is at once a romantic interest and a guardian-like mentor to Wellington, but their connection is thrown off course by possessiveness and monetary insecurity. Intimidation from nefarious characters in the shadow economy seem minor next to the fear of institutional observation and imprisonment, symbolized by the looming presence of police officers making their rounds. Baby is especially potent as an astute portrait of the lost people who have been failed by the system. The film functions as a heartfelt exploration into making ends meet, non-biological kinship, and the pursuit of self within a demanding urban landscape.