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Capturing the city's relentless energy and vibrancy of São Paulo, Marcelo Caetano’s bracing drama centres on those who exist on the margins of an constantly evolving metropolis. Newly freed from juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (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 late-night excursion with his lively group of LGBTQ+ and gender non-conforming friends, Wellington crosses paths with Ronaldo (Ricardo Teodoro), a muscular, charming hustler more than twice his age. Shrouded in the wavering neon of a adult movie theater, their initial encounter is intimate and charged, with an edge of danger. Ronaldo promptly ushers Wellington to the shadowy world of sex work and narcotics trafficking.

A Portrait of Empathy Instead of Sensationalism

Caetano depicts Wellington’s new life of crime with gentle sympathy rather than as a exploitative warning story. Now adopting the moniker Baby, he approaches his transactional encounters with swaggering confidence and touching naivety. To his patrons, Wellington offers more than his youth and his body, but also instances of tenderness.

In the feverish excitement of São Paulo, filled with bustling alleyways and vibrant storefronts, there’s a deep-seated solitude, as adrift individuals grasp at one another for fleeting joy.

"The urban landscape can be riddled with risk, yet they are where they can forge familial bonds, too."

A Complicated Dynamic of Affection and Power

Ronaldo is simultaneously a partner and a guardian-like mentor to Wellington, but their relationship is derailed by possessiveness and economic precarity. Dangers posed by nefarious characters in the criminal underworld pale in comparison to the fear of institutional observation and jail time, symbolized by the hovering figures of police officers making their rounds.

Baby is particularly impactful as an astute portrait of the forgotten souls who have fallen through the cracks the social system. The film stands as a moving exploration into making ends meet, chosen family, and the search for purpose within a unforgiving urban landscape.