The Film Baby Review: A Sharp Depiction of Queer Brazilian Hustlers Adrift in the System
Channelling the urban restlessness and vibrancy of São Paulo, director Marcelo Caetano's gripping drama centres on those who live on the fringes of an constantly evolving metropolis. Fresh out of juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (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 night on the town with his lively group of queer and non-binary friends, Wellington crosses paths with 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 first meeting is intimate and charged, with an tinge of peril. Ronaldo quickly introduces Wellington to the underground scene of the sex trade and selling drugs.
A Portrait of Understanding Rather Than Exploitation
Caetano depicts Wellington’s new life of crime with compassionate understanding rather than as a exploitative warning story. Now adopting the moniker Baby, he approaches his transactional encounters with brash fearlessness and endearing innocence. To his customers, Wellington lends not only his youth and his body, but also moments of care.
In the electrifying chaos of São Paulo, filled with bustling alleyways and colourful shopfronts, there’s a gnawing loneliness, as adrift individuals cling on to one another for temporary happiness.
"The city might be filled with danger, yet they are where they can find their own family, too."
A Complex Dynamic of Affection and Power
Ronaldo is both a lover and a protective father figure to Wellington, but their relationship is derailed by jealousy and economic precarity. Threats from dubious individuals in the criminal underworld seem minor next to the fear of state surveillance and incarceration, symbolized by the looming presence of police officers on patrol.
Baby is most powerful as a perceptive study of the forgotten souls who have slipped through the gaps the established structure. The film stands as a moving look into survival, chosen family, and the search for self within a unforgiving urban landscape.
