🔗 Share this article Baby Review: A Sharp Portrait of LGBTQ+ Brazilian Hustlers Adrift in the System Capturing the urban restlessness and dynamic spirit of São Paulo, Marcelo Caetano’s bracing drama zooms in on those who live on the fringes of an ever-changing metropolis. Recently released from juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (João Pedro Mariano) finds himself at a crossroads; deserted by his parents, the wide-eyed young man finds solace in the arms of others. On an evening out with his lively group of gay and non-binary friends, Wellington meets Ronaldo (Ricardo Teodoro), a hunky, charismatic hustler over double his age. Bathed in the flickering glow of a XXX cinema, their introductory rendezvous is physical and passionate, with an edge of danger. Ronaldo quickly introduces Wellington to the shadowy world of sex work and selling drugs. A Study of Understanding Instead of Exploitation The film illustrates Wellington’s new life of crime with compassionate understanding as opposed to as a sensationalist cautionary tale. Now going by the name of Baby, he approaches his transactional encounters with cocky bravado and poignant gullibility. To his customers, Wellington lends not only his youth and his body, but also instances of tenderness. In the electrifying chaos of São Paulo, teeming with bustling alleyways and brightly painted facades, there’s a persistent isolation, as unmoored souls grasp at one another for momentary bliss. "The city can be filled with danger, yet they are also the space where they can find their own family, too." A Complex Relationship of Love and Control Ronaldo is simultaneously a partner and a protective father figure to Wellington, but their connection is thrown off course by envy and financial instability. Dangers posed by dubious individuals in the underworld seem minor next to the dread of government monitoring and jail time, represented by the constant sight of police officers on patrol. Baby is especially potent as a perceptive study of the forgotten souls who have fallen through the cracks the social system. The film functions as a moving exploration into resilience, chosen family, and the pursuit of self within a unforgiving urban landscape.