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Capturing the metropolitan unease and pulsating life of São Paulo, filmmaker Caetano's bracing 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) stands at a pivotal juncture; left behind by his parents, the impressionable young man finds solace in the arms of others.

On an late-night excursion with his rowdy group of LGBTQ+ and gender non-conforming friends, Wellington crosses paths with Ronaldo (actor Ricardo Teodoro), a strapping, magnetic hustler more than twice his age. Illuminated by the flickering glow of a adult movie theater, their first meeting is sensuous and erotic, with an hint of risk. Ronaldo promptly ushers Wellington to the clandestine realm of the sex trade and narcotics trafficking.

A Portrait of Empathy Rather Than Sensationalism

The director portrays Wellington’s new life of crime with gentle sympathy rather than as a melodramatic morality play. Now using the alias 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 feverish excitement of São Paulo, filled with bustling alleyways and brightly painted facades, there’s a deep-seated solitude, as adrift individuals cling on to one another for momentary bliss.

"The urban landscape might be riddled with risk, yet they are the place where they can find their own family, too."

A Complicated Dynamic of Love and Control

Ronaldo is both a lover and a guardian-like mentor to Wellington, but their bond is sabotaged by envy and monetary insecurity. Dangers posed by dubious individuals in the criminal underworld seem minor next to the anxiety about state surveillance and imprisonment, epitomized by the constant sight of police officers on patrol.

Baby is most powerful as an astute portrait of the disenfranchised individuals who have slipped through the gaps the system. The film stands as a poignant exploration into resilience, chosen family, and the pursuit of purpose within a unforgiving urban landscape.