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Evoking the urban restlessness and pulsating life of São Paulo, director Marcelo Caetano's gripping drama zooms in on those who live on the fringes of an constantly evolving metropolis. Newly freed from juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (João Pedro Mariano) stands at a pivotal juncture; abandoned by his parents, the wide-eyed young man finds solace in the arms of others.

On an night on the town with his boisterous group of gay and non-binary friends, Wellington encounters Ronaldo (actor Ricardo Teodoro), a muscular, charming hustler more than twice his age. Shrouded in the wavering neon of a neon-lit porn cinema, their initial encounter is intimate and charged, with an tinge of peril. Ronaldo promptly ushers Wellington to the underground scene of the sex trade and drug dealing.

A Portrait of Understanding Rather Than Sensationalism

The film illustrates Wellington’s new life of crime with compassionate understanding rather than as a melodramatic morality play. Now using the alias Baby, he engages in his paid liaisons with brash fearlessness and touching naivety. To his patrons, Wellington offers more than his youth and his body, but also moments of care.

In the hectic energy of São Paulo, overflowing with bustling alleyways and colourful shopfronts, there’s a gnawing loneliness, as rootless people hold fast to one another for temporary happiness.

"The streets might be filled with danger, yet they are where they can find their own family, too."

A Complicated Relationship of Affection and Power

Ronaldo is simultaneously a partner and a protective father figure to Wellington, but their connection is thrown off course by possessiveness and monetary insecurity. Dangers posed by dubious individuals in the underworld pale in comparison to the fear of institutional observation and incarceration, represented by the hovering figures of police officers in the area.

Baby is most powerful as a perceptive study of the disenfranchised individuals who have fallen through the cracks the social system. The film ultimately serves as a heartfelt examination into making ends meet, found community, and the search for purpose within a unforgiving urban landscape.