Baby Review: A Sharp Depiction of Queer Brazilian Survivors Lost in the System
Channelling the metropolitan unease and dynamic spirit of São Paulo, filmmaker Caetano's gripping drama focuses on those who exist on the margins of an constantly evolving metropolis. Newly freed from juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (João Pedro Mariano) finds himself at a crossroads; abandoned by his parents, the wide-eyed young man discovers refuge in the arms of others.
On an late-night excursion with his boisterous group of queer and non-binary friends, Wellington meets Ronaldo (Ricardo Teodoro), a muscular, charming hustler significantly older than his age. Shrouded in the pulsating light of a XXX cinema, their introductory rendezvous is sensuous and erotic, with an tinge of peril. Ronaldo swiftly initiates Wellington to the clandestine realm of sex work and narcotics trafficking.
A Study of Empathy Instead of Sensationalism
Caetano depicts Wellington’s new life of crime with gentle sympathy instead of as a melodramatic morality play. Now using the alias Baby, he engages in his paid liaisons with swaggering confidence and endearing innocence. To his customers, Wellington lends not only his youth and his body, but also fleeting acts of kindness.
In the feverish excitement of São Paulo, filled with busy lanes and brightly painted facades, there’s a gnawing loneliness, as rootless people hold fast to one another for temporary happiness.
"The streets can be filled with danger, 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 sheltering paternal presence to Wellington, but their bond is sabotaged by possessiveness and economic precarity. Dangers posed by shady figures in the underworld are overshadowed by the dread of institutional observation and jail time, symbolized by the constant sight of police officers making their rounds.
Baby is especially potent as an astute portrait of the lost people who have been failed by the established structure. The film functions as a moving exploration into resilience, non-biological kinship, and the quest for identity within a harsh urban landscape.
