🔗 Share this article Baby Review: An Astute Portrait of LGBTQ+ Brazilian Survivors Lost in the Established Order Capturing the city's relentless energy and pulsating life of São Paulo, filmmaker Caetano's unflinching drama zooms in on those who inhabit the outskirts of an ever-changing metropolis. Fresh out of juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (João Pedro Mariano) stands at a pivotal juncture; left behind by his parents, the impressionable young man seeks comfort in the arms of others. On an late-night excursion with his lively group of gay and non-binary friends, Wellington meets Ronaldo (actor Ricardo Teodoro), a muscular, charming hustler more than twice his age. Bathed in the flickering glow of a neon-lit porn cinema, their first meeting is physical and passionate, with an edge of danger. Ronaldo quickly introduces Wellington to the clandestine realm of prostitution and narcotics trafficking. A Study of Understanding Rather Than Exploitation The director portrays Wellington’s new life of crime with compassionate understanding rather than as a exploitative warning story. Now using the alias Baby, he enters his commercial trysts with cocky bravado and touching naivety. To his clients, Wellington provides not just his youth and his body, but also instances of tenderness. In the hectic energy of São Paulo, filled with bustling alleyways and colourful shopfronts, there’s a deep-seated solitude, as adrift individuals hold fast to one another for momentary bliss. "The streets are filled with danger, yet they are where they can find their own family, too." A Complicated Dynamic of Love and Control Ronaldo is at once a romantic interest and a sheltering paternal presence to Wellington, but their relationship is derailed by jealousy and economic precarity. Threats from nefarious characters in the criminal underworld pale in comparison to the dread of state surveillance and imprisonment, symbolized by the hovering figures of police officers making their rounds. Baby is particularly impactful as an astute portrait of the lost people who have been failed by the established structure. The film stands as a poignant examination into survival, found community, and the quest for self within a harsh urban landscape.