Baby Review: A Sharp Portrait of Queer Brazilian Hustlers Adrift in the Established Order
Channelling the city's relentless energy and dynamic spirit of São Paulo, Marcelo Caetano’s unflinching drama zooms in on those who inhabit the outskirts of an perpetually shifting metropolis. Fresh out of juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (João Pedro Mariano) faces a critical turning point; left behind by his parents, the impressionable young man finds solace in the arms of others.
On an late-night excursion with his lively group of LGBTQ+ and gender non-conforming friends, Wellington crosses paths with Ronaldo (actor Ricardo Teodoro), a strapping, magnetic hustler over double his age. Bathed in the flickering glow of a neon-lit porn cinema, their introductory rendezvous is physical and passionate, with an edge of danger. Ronaldo quickly introduces Wellington to the clandestine realm of sex work and drug dealing.
A Portrait of Understanding Instead of Exploitation
The director portrays Wellington’s new life of crime with compassionate understanding as opposed to as a sensationalist cautionary tale. Now adopting the moniker Baby, he engages in his paid liaisons with brash fearlessness 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, filled with bustling alleyways and vibrant storefronts, there’s a gnawing loneliness, as unmoored souls grasp at one another for temporary happiness.
"The city might be riddled with risk, yet they are also the space where they can discover chosen kin, too."
A Complex Dynamic of Love and Control
Ronaldo is both a lover and a protective father figure to Wellington, but their connection is thrown off course by jealousy and financial instability. Threats from nefarious characters in the underworld seem minor next to the dread of government monitoring and jail time, symbolized by the hovering figures of police officers on patrol.
Baby is especially potent as a keen observation of the forgotten souls who have fallen through the cracks the system. The film ultimately serves as a poignant look into resilience, non-biological kinship, and the search for self within a harsh urban landscape.
