🔗 Share this article Baby Review: An Astute Portrait of LGBTQ+ Brazilian Survivors Adrift in the Established Order Evoking the urban restlessness and dynamic spirit of São Paulo, filmmaker Caetano's bracing drama focuses on those who exist on the margins of an ever-changing metropolis. Newly freed from juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (the actor João Pedro Mariano) faces a critical turning point; abandoned by his parents, the innocent young man discovers refuge in the arms of others. On an evening out with his lively group of LGBTQ+ and gender non-conforming friends, Wellington crosses paths with Ronaldo (actor Ricardo Teodoro), a strapping, magnetic hustler significantly older than his age. Illuminated by the flickering glow of a XXX cinema, their first meeting is intimate and charged, with an tinge of peril. Ronaldo swiftly initiates Wellington to the shadowy world of sex work and drug dealing. A Study of Empathy Instead of Sensationalism Caetano depicts Wellington’s new life of crime with compassionate understanding instead of as a exploitative warning story. Now going by the name of Baby, he approaches his transactional encounters with swaggering confidence and touching naivety. To his patrons, Wellington lends not only 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 unmoored souls cling on to one another for momentary bliss. "The streets can be fraught with peril, yet they are where they can find their own family, too." A Complex Dynamic of Affection and Power Ronaldo is at once a romantic interest and a protective father figure to Wellington, but their bond is sabotaged by possessiveness and monetary insecurity. Intimidation from shady figures in the shadow economy seem minor next to the fear of state surveillance and incarceration, represented by the hovering figures of police officers making their rounds. Baby is most powerful as a perceptive study of the forgotten souls who have been failed by the established structure. The film ultimately serves as a poignant look into making ends meet, chosen family, and the search for self within a demanding urban landscape.