Baby Review: A Sharp Portrait of Queer Brazilian Hustlers Adrift in the System
Capturing the metropolitan unease and vibrancy of São Paulo, director Marcelo Caetano's gripping drama zooms in on those who exist on the margins of an perpetually shifting 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 wide-eyed 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 (actor Ricardo Teodoro), a hunky, charismatic hustler significantly older than his age. Bathed in the wavering neon of a XXX cinema, their first meeting is sensuous and erotic, with an edge of danger. Ronaldo promptly ushers Wellington to the clandestine realm of sex work and selling drugs.
A Study of Empathy Instead of Sensationalism
The film illustrates Wellington’s new life of crime with gentle sympathy 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 patrons, Wellington offers more than his youth and his body, but also moments of care.
In the hectic energy of São Paulo, filled with busy lanes and vibrant storefronts, there’s a deep-seated solitude, as unmoored souls hold fast to one another for momentary bliss.
"The streets are riddled with risk, yet they are where they can find their own family, too."
A Complicated Relationship of Love and Control
Ronaldo is simultaneously a partner and a guardian-like mentor to Wellington, but their bond is sabotaged by envy and financial instability. Threats from nefarious characters in the shadow economy pale in comparison to the dread of state surveillance and imprisonment, represented by the looming presence of police officers in the area.
Baby is particularly impactful as a keen observation of the lost people who have fallen through the cracks the social system. The film functions as a moving exploration into resilience, non-biological kinship, and the search for purpose within a unforgiving urban landscape.
