The Film Baby Review: A Sharp Depiction of Queer Brazilian Hustlers Adrift in the System
Evoking the city's relentless energy and pulsating life of São Paulo, Marcelo Caetano’s unflinching drama focuses on those who live on the fringes of an constantly evolving metropolis. Fresh out of juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (João Pedro Mariano) finds himself at a crossroads; deserted by his parents, the wide-eyed young man finds solace in the arms of others.
On an late-night excursion with his lively 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 flickering glow of a adult movie theater, their introductory rendezvous is intimate and charged, with an hint of risk. Ronaldo promptly ushers Wellington to the underground scene of the sex trade and drug dealing.
A Study of Understanding Instead of Exploitation
The film illustrates Wellington’s new life of crime with compassionate understanding rather than as a melodramatic morality play. Now going by the name of Baby, he engages in his paid liaisons with cocky bravado and poignant gullibility. To his customers, Wellington provides not just his youth and his body, but also moments of care.
In the hectic energy of São Paulo, filled with bustling alleyways and brightly painted facades, there’s a gnawing loneliness, as unmoored souls hold fast to one another for temporary happiness.
"The urban landscape might be riddled with risk, yet they are also the space where they can find their own family, too."
A Complex Relationship of Love and Control
Ronaldo is simultaneously a partner and a protective father figure to Wellington, but their connection is thrown off course by envy and economic precarity. Intimidation from nefarious characters in the underworld pale in comparison to the fear of state surveillance and incarceration, represented by the looming presence of police officers making their rounds.
Baby is particularly impactful as a perceptive study of the disenfranchised individuals who have been failed by the system. The film functions as a poignant look into resilience, chosen family, and the search for purpose within a demanding urban landscape.
