🔗 Share this article Baby Review: An Astute Portrait of Queer Brazilian Survivors Lost in the System Capturing the urban restlessness and pulsating life of São Paulo, Marcelo Caetano’s bracing drama zooms in on those who live on the fringes of an constantly evolving metropolis. Recently released from juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (the actor João Pedro Mariano) finds himself at a crossroads; abandoned by his parents, the innocent young man finds solace in the arms of others. On an evening out with his rowdy group of queer and non-binary friends, Wellington meets Ronaldo (actor Ricardo Teodoro), a strapping, magnetic hustler more than twice his age. Shrouded in the wavering neon of a adult movie theater, their introductory rendezvous is physical and passionate, with an tinge of peril. Ronaldo swiftly initiates Wellington to the shadowy world of sex work and drug dealing. A Portrait of Understanding Rather Than Exploitation The film illustrates Wellington’s new life of crime with tender empathy instead of as a melodramatic morality play. Now using the alias Baby, he approaches his transactional encounters with brash fearlessness and poignant gullibility. To his patrons, Wellington offers more than his youth and his body, but also instances of tenderness. In the electrifying chaos of São Paulo, teeming with bustling alleyways and vibrant storefronts, there’s a persistent isolation, as rootless people cling on to one another for temporary happiness. "The city can be fraught with peril, yet they are also the space where they can discover chosen kin, too." A Complex Relationship of Love and Control Ronaldo is both a lover and a protective father figure to Wellington, but their bond is sabotaged by jealousy and monetary insecurity. Threats from dubious individuals in the underworld pale in comparison to the fear of government monitoring and imprisonment, represented by the looming presence of police officers making their rounds. Baby is especially potent as a perceptive study of the disenfranchised individuals who have fallen through the cracks the established structure. The film functions as a moving look into resilience, non-biological kinship, and the pursuit of purpose within a harsh urban landscape.