🔗 Share this article Baby Review: A Sharp Portrait of LGBTQ+ Brazilian Hustlers Lost in the Established Order Evoking the metropolitan unease and dynamic spirit of São Paulo, filmmaker Caetano's gripping drama focuses 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) stands at a pivotal juncture; left behind by his parents, the wide-eyed young man seeks comfort in the arms of others. On an late-night excursion with his rowdy group of queer and non-binary friends, Wellington encounters Ronaldo (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 tinge of peril. Ronaldo quickly introduces Wellington to the underground scene of the sex trade and drug dealing. A Portrait of Empathy Rather Than Sensationalism The film illustrates Wellington’s new life of crime with compassionate understanding as opposed to as a sensationalist cautionary tale. Now going by the name of Baby, he enters his commercial trysts with swaggering confidence and poignant gullibility. To his customers, Wellington provides not just his youth and his body, but also instances of tenderness. In the electrifying chaos of São Paulo, teeming with bustling alleyways and brightly painted facades, there’s a persistent isolation, as rootless people grasp at one another for momentary bliss. "The urban landscape can be riddled with risk, yet they are also the space where they can forge familial bonds, too." A Complicated Dynamic of Love and Control Ronaldo is both a lover and a protective father figure to Wellington, but their connection is thrown off course by possessiveness and financial instability. Intimidation from dubious individuals in the criminal underworld pale in comparison to the dread of government monitoring and jail time, represented by the looming presence of police officers in the area. Baby is most powerful as an astute portrait of the disenfranchised individuals who have been failed by the system. The film stands as a poignant exploration into survival, found community, and the pursuit of identity within a demanding urban landscape.