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Evoking the metropolitan unease and vibrancy of São Paulo, Marcelo Caetano’s unflinching drama centres on those who exist on the margins of an perpetually shifting metropolis. Newly freed from juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (the actor João Pedro Mariano) finds himself at a crossroads; left behind by his parents, the innocent young man discovers refuge in the arms of others.

On an night on the town with his boisterous group of LGBTQ+ and gender non-conforming friends, Wellington crosses paths with Ronaldo (Ricardo Teodoro), a muscular, charming hustler more than twice his age. Bathed in the pulsating light of a neon-lit porn cinema, their initial encounter is intimate and charged, with an hint of risk. Ronaldo quickly introduces Wellington to the shadowy world of sex work and drug dealing.

A Portrait of Understanding Instead of Sensationalism

The film illustrates Wellington’s new life of crime with gentle sympathy instead of as a exploitative warning story. Now using the alias Baby, he engages in his paid liaisons with swaggering confidence and touching naivety. 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, teeming with bustling alleyways and colourful shopfronts, there’s a gnawing loneliness, as adrift individuals hold fast to one another for momentary bliss.

"The streets might be riddled with risk, yet they are also the space where they can discover chosen kin, too."

A Complicated Relationship of Love and Control

Ronaldo is at once a romantic interest and a guardian-like mentor to Wellington, but their relationship is derailed by possessiveness and financial instability. Dangers posed by nefarious characters in the shadow economy pale in comparison to the fear of state surveillance and imprisonment, symbolized by the constant sight of police officers in the area.

Baby is especially potent as an astute portrait of the disenfranchised individuals who have been failed by the established structure. The film ultimately serves as a moving examination into resilience, found community, and the quest for identity within a harsh urban landscape.