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Channelling the city's relentless energy and pulsating life of São Paulo, Marcelo Caetano’s gripping drama centres on those who exist on the margins of an perpetually shifting metropolis. Recently released from juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (João Pedro Mariano) stands at a pivotal juncture; abandoned by his parents, the impressionable young man seeks comfort in the arms of others.

On an late-night excursion with his boisterous group of queer and non-binary friends, Wellington encounters Ronaldo (Ricardo Teodoro), a muscular, charming hustler significantly older than his age. Shrouded in the flickering glow of a XXX cinema, their first meeting is physical and passionate, with an hint of risk. Ronaldo promptly ushers Wellington to the underground scene of sex work and narcotics trafficking.

A Study of Empathy Rather Than Exploitation

The director portrays Wellington’s new life of crime with compassionate understanding as opposed to as a sensationalist cautionary tale. Now adopting the moniker Baby, he enters his commercial trysts with cocky bravado and touching naivety. To his customers, Wellington offers more than his youth and his body, but also fleeting acts of kindness.

In the hectic energy of São Paulo, teeming with bustling alleyways and colourful shopfronts, there’s a deep-seated solitude, as rootless people hold fast to one another for momentary bliss.

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

A Complicated Dynamic of Affection and Power

Ronaldo is at once a romantic interest and a protective father figure to Wellington, but their connection is thrown off course by jealousy and financial instability. Intimidation from shady figures in the underworld pale in comparison to the fear of government monitoring and imprisonment, epitomized by the hovering figures of police officers in the area.

Baby is most powerful as a perceptive study of the lost people who have been failed by the social system. The film ultimately serves as a moving exploration into resilience, chosen family, and the pursuit of self within a harsh urban landscape.