The Film Baby Review: An Astute Depiction of Queer Brazilian Survivors Lost in the System

Channelling the city's relentless energy and vibrancy of São Paulo, filmmaker Caetano's gripping drama centres on those who exist on the margins of an perpetually shifting metropolis. Newly freed from juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (the actor João Pedro Mariano) finds himself at a crossroads; left behind by his parents, the impressionable young man discovers refuge in the arms of others.

On an evening out with his rowdy group of gay and non-binary friends, Wellington meets Ronaldo (actor Ricardo Teodoro), a hunky, charismatic hustler over double his age. Illuminated by the pulsating light of a XXX cinema, their introductory rendezvous is intimate and charged, with an hint of risk. Ronaldo swiftly initiates Wellington to the underground scene of the sex trade and drug dealing.

A Portrait of Empathy Instead of Exploitation

Caetano depicts Wellington’s new life of crime with gentle sympathy instead of as a sensationalist cautionary tale. Now adopting the moniker Baby, he engages in his paid liaisons with cocky bravado and endearing innocence. To his clients, Wellington provides not just his youth and his body, but also moments of care.

In the feverish excitement of São Paulo, teeming with bustling alleyways and brightly painted facades, there’s a gnawing loneliness, as unmoored souls hold fast to one another for fleeting joy.

"The urban landscape are filled with danger, yet they are where they can discover chosen kin, too."

A Complicated Dynamic of Love and Control

Ronaldo is both a lover and a protective father figure to Wellington, but their relationship is derailed by possessiveness and monetary insecurity. Intimidation from shady figures in the shadow economy seem minor next to the anxiety about government monitoring and imprisonment, represented by the hovering figures of police officers in the area.

Baby is particularly impactful as a keen observation of the lost people who have slipped through the gaps the system. The film stands as a heartfelt look into survival, chosen family, and the search for identity within a harsh urban landscape.