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Evoking the city's relentless energy and vibrancy of São Paulo, filmmaker Caetano's bracing drama focuses on those who live on the fringes of an perpetually shifting metropolis. Fresh out of juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (the actor João Pedro Mariano) stands at a pivotal juncture; deserted by his parents, the impressionable young man discovers refuge in the arms of others.

On an late-night excursion with his boisterous group of gay and non-binary friends, Wellington meets Ronaldo (actor Ricardo Teodoro), a strapping, magnetic hustler over double his age. Illuminated by the wavering neon of a neon-lit porn cinema, their initial encounter is physical and passionate, with an hint of risk. Ronaldo quickly introduces Wellington to the underground scene of the sex trade and selling drugs.

A Portrait of Empathy Rather Than Exploitation

The film illustrates Wellington’s new life of crime with tender empathy instead of as a melodramatic morality play. Now going by the name of Baby, he approaches his transactional encounters with cocky bravado and poignant gullibility. To his clients, Wellington provides not just his youth and his body, but also fleeting acts of kindness.

In the hectic energy of São Paulo, teeming with busy lanes and vibrant storefronts, there’s a deep-seated solitude, as adrift individuals 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 Complicated Dynamic of Affection and Power

Ronaldo is both a lover and a guardian-like mentor to Wellington, but their connection is thrown off course by envy and economic precarity. Threats from nefarious characters in the underworld pale in comparison to the anxiety about institutional observation and incarceration, represented by the looming presence of police officers in the area.

Baby is particularly impactful as a perceptive study of the forgotten souls who have fallen through the cracks the established structure. The film functions as a moving examination into making ends meet, non-biological kinship, and the quest for self within a harsh urban landscape.