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Capturing the metropolitan unease and pulsating life of São Paulo, director Marcelo Caetano's unflinching drama centres on those who live on the fringes of an ever-changing metropolis. Fresh out of juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (João Pedro Mariano) finds himself at a crossroads; abandoned by his parents, the impressionable young man seeks comfort in the arms of others.

On an evening out with his boisterous group of queer and non-binary friends, Wellington crosses paths with Ronaldo (Ricardo Teodoro), a muscular, charming hustler over double his age. Shrouded in the pulsating light of a adult movie theater, their first meeting is sensuous and erotic, with an hint of risk. Ronaldo swiftly initiates Wellington to the clandestine realm of sex work and narcotics trafficking.

A Study of Empathy Rather Than Sensationalism

The director portrays Wellington’s new life of crime with gentle sympathy instead of as a exploitative warning story. Now adopting the moniker Baby, he enters his commercial trysts with cocky bravado and endearing innocence. To his patrons, Wellington offers more than his youth and his body, but also fleeting acts of kindness.

In the hectic energy of São Paulo, overflowing with crowded backstreets 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 also the space where they can discover chosen kin, too."

A Complicated Relationship of Affection and Power

Ronaldo is simultaneously a partner and a sheltering paternal presence to Wellington, but their relationship is derailed by envy and financial instability. Dangers posed by dubious individuals in the underworld seem minor next to the dread of institutional observation and incarceration, symbolized by the looming presence of police officers making their rounds.

Baby is most powerful as a perceptive study of the disenfranchised individuals who have slipped through the gaps the social system. The film stands as a heartfelt exploration into resilience, found community, and the quest for self within a unforgiving urban landscape.