Baby Review: An Astute Portrait of LGBTQ+ Brazilian Hustlers Adrift in the Established Order

Evoking the urban restlessness and vibrancy of São Paulo, director Marcelo Caetano's unflinching drama focuses on those who inhabit the outskirts of an constantly evolving metropolis. Newly freed from juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (João Pedro Mariano) faces a critical turning point; deserted by his parents, the wide-eyed young man discovers refuge in the arms of others.

On an late-night excursion with his boisterous group of LGBTQ+ and gender non-conforming friends, Wellington meets Ronaldo (Ricardo Teodoro), a muscular, charming hustler significantly older than his age. Shrouded in the flickering glow of a neon-lit porn cinema, their first meeting is intimate and charged, with an hint of risk. Ronaldo quickly introduces Wellington to the clandestine realm of the sex trade and drug dealing.

A Study of Understanding Instead of Exploitation

The film illustrates Wellington’s new life of crime with compassionate understanding rather than as a sensationalist cautionary tale. Now going by the name of Baby, he enters his commercial trysts with cocky bravado and endearing innocence. To his customers, Wellington provides not just his youth and his body, but also instances of tenderness.

In the electrifying chaos of São Paulo, filled with busy lanes and colourful shopfronts, there’s a deep-seated solitude, as adrift individuals grasp at one another for fleeting joy.

"The city can be riddled with risk, yet they are the place where they can discover chosen kin, too."

A Complicated Dynamic of Love and Control

Ronaldo is simultaneously a partner and a protective father figure to Wellington, but their relationship is derailed by jealousy and financial instability. Dangers posed by nefarious characters in the underworld are overshadowed by the dread of institutional observation and incarceration, represented by the hovering figures of police officers making their rounds.

Baby is most powerful as a keen observation of the forgotten souls who have slipped through the gaps the system. The film functions as a moving look into making ends meet, found community, and the quest for purpose within a demanding urban landscape.