🔗 Share this article The Film Baby Review: An Astute Portrait of LGBTQ+ Brazilian Survivors Adrift in the System Channelling the metropolitan unease and vibrancy of São Paulo, director Marcelo Caetano's bracing drama focuses on those who inhabit the outskirts of an ever-changing metropolis. Fresh out of juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (the actor 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 queer and non-binary friends, Wellington crosses paths with Ronaldo (Ricardo Teodoro), a strapping, magnetic hustler significantly older than his age. Illuminated by the flickering glow of a neon-lit porn cinema, their introductory rendezvous is intimate and charged, with an hint of risk. Ronaldo swiftly initiates Wellington to the underground scene of prostitution and drug dealing. A Portrait of Understanding Instead of Exploitation The film illustrates Wellington’s new life of crime with compassionate understanding instead of as a melodramatic morality play. Now adopting the moniker Baby, he enters his commercial trysts with swaggering confidence and endearing innocence. To his clients, Wellington lends not only his youth and his body, but also fleeting acts of kindness. In the feverish excitement of São Paulo, teeming with busy lanes and vibrant storefronts, there’s a gnawing loneliness, as rootless people grasp at one another for momentary bliss. "The streets can be filled with danger, yet they are where they can discover chosen kin, too." A Complicated Dynamic of Affection and Power Ronaldo is both a lover and a sheltering paternal presence to Wellington, but their bond is sabotaged by jealousy and monetary insecurity. Threats from nefarious characters in the underworld seem minor next to the dread of government monitoring and jail time, represented by the hovering figures of police officers in the area. Baby is particularly impactful as a perceptive study of the lost people who have been failed by the system. The film ultimately serves as a moving look into survival, non-biological kinship, and the pursuit of self within a unforgiving urban landscape.