The Film Baby Review: A Sharp Depiction of Queer Brazilian Hustlers Adrift in the System

Channelling the urban restlessness and pulsating life of São Paulo, Marcelo Caetano’s gripping drama focuses on those who exist on the margins of an perpetually shifting metropolis. Newly freed from juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (the actor João Pedro Mariano) faces a critical turning point; left behind by his parents, the innocent young man finds solace in the arms of others.

On an late-night excursion with his boisterous group of LGBTQ+ and gender non-conforming friends, Wellington crosses paths with Ronaldo (actor Ricardo Teodoro), a strapping, magnetic hustler over double his age. Shrouded in the pulsating light of a XXX cinema, their first meeting is sensuous and erotic, with an hint of risk. Ronaldo quickly introduces Wellington to the clandestine realm of the sex trade and narcotics trafficking.

A Study of Understanding Rather Than Sensationalism

Caetano depicts Wellington’s new life of crime with tender empathy rather than as a melodramatic morality play. Now going by the name of Baby, he enters his commercial trysts with brash fearlessness and poignant gullibility. To his customers, Wellington provides not just his youth and his body, but also fleeting acts of kindness.

In the electrifying chaos 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 fleeting joy.

"The city are filled with danger, yet they are also the space where they can discover chosen kin, too."

A Complicated Relationship of Love and Control

Ronaldo is simultaneously a partner and a protective father figure to Wellington, but their bond is sabotaged by possessiveness and economic precarity. Intimidation from dubious individuals in the shadow economy pale in comparison to the fear of state surveillance and incarceration, epitomized by the hovering figures of police officers in the area.

Baby is particularly impactful as an astute portrait of the lost people who have been failed by the system. The film ultimately serves as a moving look into making ends meet, chosen family, and the pursuit of identity within a harsh urban landscape.