The Film Baby Review: An Astute Portrait of Queer Brazilian Survivors Adrift in the System
Channelling the urban restlessness and vibrancy of São Paulo, Marcelo Caetano’s gripping drama zooms in on those who inhabit the outskirts of an constantly evolving metropolis. Recently released from juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (the actor João Pedro Mariano) finds himself at a crossroads; abandoned by his parents, the innocent young man seeks comfort in the arms of others.
On an late-night excursion with his rowdy group of queer and non-binary friends, Wellington meets Ronaldo (actor Ricardo Teodoro), a strapping, magnetic hustler significantly older than his age. Shrouded in the flickering glow of a neon-lit porn cinema, their first meeting is intimate and charged, with an edge of danger. Ronaldo quickly introduces Wellington to the underground scene of the sex trade and drug dealing.
A Portrait of Understanding Rather Than Exploitation
Caetano depicts Wellington’s new life of crime with tender empathy instead of as a melodramatic morality play. Now going by the name of Baby, he enters his commercial trysts with swaggering confidence and endearing innocence. To his customers, Wellington lends not only his youth and his body, but also moments of care.
In the hectic energy of São Paulo, teeming with bustling alleyways and brightly painted facades, there’s a deep-seated solitude, as rootless people grasp at one another for temporary happiness.
"The city can be fraught with peril, yet they are the place where they can forge familial bonds, too."
A Complex Dynamic of Affection and Power
Ronaldo is at once a romantic interest and a guardian-like mentor to Wellington, but their connection is thrown off course by jealousy and financial instability. Intimidation from shady figures in the shadow economy pale in comparison to the anxiety about state surveillance and incarceration, represented by the constant sight of police officers on patrol.
Baby is particularly impactful as a perceptive study of the disenfranchised individuals who have slipped through the gaps the established structure. The film functions as a heartfelt look into resilience, chosen family, and the pursuit of self within a demanding urban landscape.
