🔗 Share this article Baby Review: A Sharp Portrait of LGBTQ+ Brazilian Survivors Adrift in the Established Order Evoking the metropolitan unease and pulsating life of São Paulo, filmmaker Caetano's bracing drama centres on those who inhabit the outskirts of an constantly evolving metropolis. Fresh out of juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (João Pedro Mariano) finds himself at a crossroads; left behind by his parents, the wide-eyed young man finds solace in the arms of others. On an late-night excursion with his rowdy group of LGBTQ+ and gender non-conforming friends, Wellington encounters Ronaldo (actor Ricardo Teodoro), a muscular, charming hustler more than twice his age. Bathed in the wavering neon of a XXX cinema, their initial encounter is sensuous and erotic, with an tinge of peril. Ronaldo promptly ushers Wellington to the shadowy world of sex work and selling drugs. A Portrait of Understanding Rather Than Sensationalism The director portrays Wellington’s new life of crime with gentle sympathy instead of as a sensationalist cautionary tale. Now going by the name of Baby, he approaches his transactional encounters with cocky bravado and poignant gullibility. To his clients, Wellington lends not only his youth and his body, but also moments of care. In the feverish excitement of São Paulo, filled with bustling alleyways and brightly painted facades, there’s a persistent isolation, as adrift individuals cling on to one another for temporary happiness. "The city can be riddled with risk, yet they are also the space where they can forge familial bonds, too." A Complicated Dynamic of Love and Control Ronaldo is at once a romantic interest and a guardian-like mentor to Wellington, but their relationship is derailed by jealousy and financial instability. Threats from nefarious characters in the underworld seem minor next to the anxiety about institutional observation and incarceration, symbolized by the constant sight of police officers making their rounds. Baby is especially potent as an astute portrait of the disenfranchised individuals who have slipped through the gaps the established structure. The film ultimately serves as a heartfelt examination into making ends meet, chosen family, and the quest for purpose within a unforgiving urban landscape.