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Channelling the urban restlessness and pulsating life of São Paulo, director Marcelo Caetano's gripping drama centres on those who inhabit the outskirts of an perpetually shifting metropolis. Fresh out of juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (João Pedro Mariano) finds himself at a crossroads; left behind by his parents, the wide-eyed young man finds solace in the arms of others.

On an night on the town with his rowdy group of LGBTQ+ and gender non-conforming friends, Wellington meets Ronaldo (actor Ricardo Teodoro), a strapping, magnetic hustler over double his age. Illuminated by the flickering glow of a XXX cinema, their first meeting is physical and passionate, with an edge of danger. Ronaldo quickly introduces Wellington to the shadowy world of the sex trade and drug dealing.

A Portrait of Understanding Instead of Sensationalism

The film illustrates Wellington’s new life of crime with compassionate understanding as opposed to as a exploitative warning story. Now using the alias Baby, he approaches his transactional encounters with cocky bravado and endearing innocence. To his clients, Wellington lends not only his youth and his body, but also instances of tenderness.

In the feverish excitement of São Paulo, overflowing with busy lanes and colourful shopfronts, there’s a gnawing loneliness, as adrift individuals grasp at one another for temporary happiness.

"The city might be riddled with risk, yet they are also the space where they can discover chosen kin, too."

A Complicated Dynamic of Love and Control

Ronaldo is simultaneously a partner and a protective father figure to Wellington, but their bond is sabotaged by possessiveness and monetary insecurity. Threats from nefarious characters in the underworld are overshadowed by the anxiety about state surveillance and incarceration, represented by the constant sight of police officers making their rounds.

Baby is particularly impactful as an astute portrait of the forgotten souls who have slipped through the gaps the social system. The film functions as a moving exploration into resilience, non-biological kinship, and the pursuit of identity within a demanding urban landscape.