Baby Review: An Astute Portrait of Queer Brazilian Hustlers Adrift in the System

Evoking the city's relentless energy and pulsating life of São Paulo, filmmaker Caetano's bracing drama centres on those who exist on the margins of an constantly evolving 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 seeks comfort in the arms of others.

On an late-night excursion with his boisterous group of queer and non-binary friends, Wellington meets Ronaldo (actor Ricardo Teodoro), a muscular, charming hustler significantly older than his age. Bathed in the flickering glow of a adult movie theater, their introductory rendezvous is intimate and charged, with an edge of danger. Ronaldo promptly ushers Wellington to the clandestine realm of the sex trade and drug dealing.

A Portrait of Empathy Rather Than Sensationalism

Caetano depicts Wellington’s new life of crime with tender empathy as opposed to as a exploitative warning story. Now adopting the moniker Baby, he engages in his paid liaisons with cocky bravado and touching naivety. To his clients, Wellington lends not only his youth and his body, but also fleeting acts of kindness.

In the feverish excitement of São Paulo, teeming with bustling alleyways and colourful shopfronts, there’s a deep-seated solitude, as rootless people cling on to one another for temporary happiness.

"The urban landscape are riddled with risk, yet they are where they can forge familial bonds, too."

A Complex Dynamic of Love and Control

Ronaldo is simultaneously a partner and a sheltering paternal presence to Wellington, but their bond is sabotaged by envy and financial instability. Intimidation from nefarious characters in the criminal underworld are overshadowed by the dread of institutional observation and incarceration, represented by the hovering figures of police officers making their rounds.

Baby is particularly impactful as a perceptive study of the forgotten souls who have slipped through the gaps the social system. The film stands as a heartfelt exploration into survival, found community, and the pursuit of purpose within a unforgiving urban landscape.