🔗 Share this article The Film Baby Review: An Astute Portrait of LGBTQ+ Brazilian Hustlers Lost in the System Evoking the urban restlessness and dynamic spirit of São Paulo, filmmaker Caetano's gripping drama zooms in on those who inhabit the outskirts of an perpetually shifting metropolis. Newly freed from juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (the actor João Pedro Mariano) faces a critical turning point; deserted by his parents, the wide-eyed young man discovers refuge in the arms of others. On an late-night excursion with his rowdy group of gay and non-binary friends, Wellington meets Ronaldo (actor Ricardo Teodoro), a muscular, charming hustler significantly older than his age. Illuminated by the flickering glow of a adult movie theater, their introductory rendezvous is physical and passionate, with an edge of danger. Ronaldo swiftly initiates Wellington to the clandestine realm of prostitution and selling drugs. A Portrait of Understanding Instead of Sensationalism The film illustrates Wellington’s new life of crime with tender empathy instead of as a melodramatic morality play. Now adopting the moniker Baby, he approaches his transactional encounters with swaggering confidence and endearing innocence. To his patrons, Wellington provides not just his youth and his body, but also moments of care. In the hectic energy of São Paulo, teeming with busy lanes and colourful shopfronts, there’s a deep-seated solitude, as unmoored souls cling on to one another for momentary bliss. "The urban landscape can be filled with danger, yet they are also the space where they can forge familial bonds, too." A Complex Dynamic of Love and Control Ronaldo is at once a romantic interest and a protective father figure to Wellington, but their bond is sabotaged by jealousy and economic precarity. Threats from nefarious characters in the shadow economy seem minor next to the fear of institutional observation and imprisonment, epitomized by the constant sight of police officers making their rounds. Baby is particularly impactful as a perceptive study of the disenfranchised individuals who have fallen through the cracks the system. The film ultimately serves as a moving examination into survival, found community, and the search for purpose within a unforgiving urban landscape.