Baby Review: A Sharp Depiction of LGBTQ+ Brazilian Survivors Lost in the System

Capturing the city's relentless energy and vibrancy of São Paulo, Marcelo Caetano’s gripping drama centres on those who exist on the margins of an constantly evolving metropolis. Fresh out of juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (the actor João Pedro Mariano) finds himself at a crossroads; abandoned by his parents, the innocent young man finds solace in the arms of others.

On an late-night excursion with his boisterous group of LGBTQ+ and gender non-conforming friends, Wellington meets Ronaldo (actor Ricardo Teodoro), a muscular, charming hustler over double his age. Shrouded in the pulsating light of a adult movie theater, their introductory rendezvous is physical and passionate, with an tinge of peril. Ronaldo quickly introduces Wellington to the underground scene of the sex trade and narcotics trafficking.

A Portrait of Understanding Rather Than Sensationalism

The director portrays Wellington’s new life of crime with tender empathy instead of as a sensationalist cautionary tale. Now going by the name of Baby, he enters his commercial trysts with brash fearlessness and endearing innocence. To his customers, Wellington offers more than his youth and his body, but also moments of care.

In the feverish excitement of São Paulo, overflowing with busy lanes and colourful shopfronts, there’s a gnawing loneliness, as rootless people hold fast to one another for temporary happiness.

"The city are riddled with risk, yet they are where they can forge familial bonds, too."

A Complex Relationship of Affection and Power

Ronaldo is at once a romantic interest and a sheltering paternal presence to Wellington, but their bond is sabotaged by envy and financial instability. Dangers posed by shady figures in the shadow economy seem minor next to the fear of government monitoring and imprisonment, symbolized by the constant sight of police officers on patrol.

Baby is most powerful as a keen observation of the disenfranchised individuals who have fallen through the cracks the social system. The film ultimately serves as a poignant look into making ends meet, non-biological kinship, and the quest for self within a unforgiving urban landscape.