🔗 Share this article The Film Baby Review: An Astute Depiction of LGBTQ+ Brazilian Survivors Lost in the Established Order Evoking the city's relentless energy and vibrancy of São Paulo, Marcelo Caetano’s gripping drama centres on those who inhabit the outskirts of an constantly evolving metropolis. Newly freed from juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (João Pedro Mariano) stands at a pivotal juncture; abandoned by his parents, the innocent young man discovers refuge in the arms of others. On an late-night excursion with his boisterous group of gay and non-binary friends, Wellington meets Ronaldo (actor Ricardo Teodoro), a muscular, charming hustler significantly older than his age. Bathed in the pulsating light of a neon-lit porn cinema, their initial encounter is sensuous and erotic, with an hint of risk. Ronaldo swiftly initiates Wellington to the clandestine realm of the sex trade and narcotics trafficking. A Study of Empathy Instead of Sensationalism Caetano depicts Wellington’s new life of crime with tender empathy rather than as a exploitative warning story. Now going by the name of Baby, he enters his commercial trysts with swaggering confidence and touching naivety. To his patrons, Wellington offers more than his youth and his body, but also fleeting acts of kindness. In the feverish excitement of São Paulo, overflowing with crowded backstreets and brightly painted facades, there’s a gnawing loneliness, as adrift individuals cling on to one another for fleeting joy. "The city can be fraught with peril, yet they are also the space where they can find their own family, too." A Complicated Dynamic of Love and Control Ronaldo is at once a romantic interest and a guardian-like mentor to Wellington, but their relationship is derailed by jealousy and economic precarity. Threats from nefarious characters in the shadow economy are overshadowed by the dread of institutional observation and incarceration, epitomized by the looming presence of police officers making their rounds. Baby is particularly impactful as a perceptive study of the forgotten souls who have fallen through the cracks the social system. The film functions as a heartfelt exploration into making ends meet, found community, and the search for self within a unforgiving urban landscape.