🔗 Share this article The Film 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 gripping drama centres on those who live on the fringes of an ever-changing metropolis. Recently released from juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (the actor João Pedro Mariano) finds himself at a crossroads; abandoned by his parents, the impressionable young man seeks comfort in the arms of others. On an evening out with his lively group of queer and non-binary friends, Wellington meets Ronaldo (actor Ricardo Teodoro), a muscular, charming hustler significantly older than his age. Shrouded in the flickering glow of a neon-lit porn cinema, their initial encounter is sensuous and erotic, with an hint of risk. Ronaldo swiftly initiates Wellington to the underground scene of prostitution and narcotics trafficking. A Portrait of Empathy Instead of Exploitation Caetano depicts Wellington’s new life of crime with compassionate understanding instead of as a melodramatic morality play. Now using the alias Baby, he engages in his paid liaisons with swaggering confidence and endearing innocence. To his clients, Wellington offers more than his youth and his body, but also fleeting acts of kindness. In the hectic energy of São Paulo, teeming with bustling alleyways and colourful shopfronts, there’s a persistent isolation, as rootless people hold fast to one another for momentary bliss. "The city can be fraught with peril, yet they are the place where they can discover chosen kin, too." A Complex Dynamic of Love and Control Ronaldo is both a lover and a protective father figure to Wellington, but their bond is sabotaged by envy and monetary insecurity. Intimidation from dubious individuals in the underworld seem minor next to the fear of institutional observation and jail time, epitomized by the looming presence of police officers making their rounds. Baby is most powerful as a keen observation of the lost people who have been failed by the social system. The film stands as a poignant look into survival, non-biological kinship, and the search for self within a harsh urban landscape.