The Film Baby Review: An Astute Depiction of Queer Brazilian Hustlers Adrift in the Established Order
Capturing the city's relentless energy and dynamic spirit of São Paulo, Marcelo Caetano’s bracing drama zooms in on those who inhabit the outskirts of an perpetually shifting metropolis. Fresh out of juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (the actor João Pedro Mariano) stands at a pivotal juncture; abandoned by his parents, the innocent young man seeks comfort in the arms of others.
On an night on the town with his boisterous group of queer and non-binary friends, Wellington meets Ronaldo (actor Ricardo Teodoro), a hunky, charismatic hustler significantly older than his age. Bathed in the flickering glow of a XXX cinema, 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
The film illustrates Wellington’s new life of crime with gentle sympathy instead of as a exploitative warning story. Now using the alias Baby, he engages in his paid liaisons with brash fearlessness and touching naivety. To his clients, Wellington offers more than his youth and his body, but also moments of care.
In the electrifying chaos of São Paulo, filled with busy lanes and vibrant storefronts, there’s a gnawing loneliness, as unmoored souls hold fast to one another for temporary happiness.
"The urban landscape might be fraught with peril, yet they are the place where they can find their own family, too."
A Complicated Dynamic of Love and Control
Ronaldo is at once a romantic interest and a guardian-like mentor to Wellington, but their connection is thrown off course by jealousy and monetary insecurity. Intimidation from dubious individuals in the criminal underworld pale in comparison to the dread of institutional observation and jail time, epitomized by the constant sight of police officers on patrol.
Baby is particularly impactful as a perceptive study of the forgotten souls who have fallen through the cracks the system. The film functions as a moving look into survival, chosen family, and the pursuit of self within a unforgiving urban landscape.
