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Channelling the metropolitan unease and pulsating life of São Paulo, director Marcelo Caetano's bracing drama focuses on those who inhabit the outskirts of an perpetually shifting 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 late-night excursion with his boisterous group of LGBTQ+ and gender non-conforming friends, Wellington crosses paths with Ronaldo (Ricardo Teodoro), a hunky, charismatic hustler more than twice his age. Bathed in the pulsating light of a XXX cinema, their introductory rendezvous is sensuous and erotic, with an edge of danger. Ronaldo quickly introduces Wellington to the underground scene of sex work and drug dealing.

A Study of Understanding Rather Than Sensationalism

The film illustrates Wellington’s new life of crime with compassionate understanding as opposed to as a exploitative warning story. Now using the alias Baby, he enters his commercial trysts with swaggering confidence and endearing innocence. To his customers, Wellington provides not just his youth and his body, but also fleeting acts of kindness.

In the electrifying chaos of São Paulo, teeming with crowded backstreets and colourful shopfronts, there’s a deep-seated solitude, as adrift individuals cling on to one another for momentary bliss.

"The city can be filled with danger, yet they are the place where they can discover chosen kin, too."

A Complex Relationship of Affection and Power

Ronaldo is at once a romantic interest and a sheltering paternal presence to Wellington, but their relationship is derailed by jealousy and financial instability. Dangers posed by shady figures in the shadow economy are overshadowed by the dread of government monitoring and incarceration, epitomized by the looming presence of police officers making their rounds.

Baby is most powerful as a keen observation of the disenfranchised individuals who have slipped through the gaps the system. The film ultimately serves as a heartfelt look into survival, found community, and the pursuit of self within a unforgiving urban landscape.