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Capturing the urban restlessness and dynamic spirit of São Paulo, Marcelo Caetano’s unflinching drama focuses on those who inhabit the outskirts of an perpetually shifting metropolis. Newly freed from juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (the actor João Pedro Mariano) finds himself at a crossroads; abandoned by his parents, the impressionable young man finds solace in the arms of others.

On an late-night excursion with his rowdy group of queer and non-binary friends, Wellington meets Ronaldo (actor Ricardo Teodoro), a muscular, charming hustler significantly older than his age. Bathed in the pulsating light of a neon-lit porn cinema, their introductory rendezvous is physical and passionate, with an hint of risk. Ronaldo promptly ushers Wellington to the underground scene of the sex trade and narcotics trafficking.

A Study of Understanding Rather Than Exploitation

The film illustrates Wellington’s new life of crime with compassionate understanding rather than as a melodramatic morality play. Now adopting the moniker Baby, he engages in his paid liaisons with brash fearlessness and endearing innocence. To his customers, Wellington lends not only his youth and his body, but also fleeting acts of kindness.

In the electrifying chaos of São Paulo, filled with busy lanes and brightly painted facades, there’s a persistent isolation, as unmoored souls grasp at one another for temporary happiness.

"The city might be riddled with risk, yet they are also the space where they can discover chosen kin, too."

A Complex Relationship of Love and Control

Ronaldo is simultaneously a partner and a guardian-like mentor to Wellington, but their relationship is derailed by possessiveness and financial instability. Intimidation from dubious individuals in the criminal underworld pale in comparison to the dread of state surveillance and imprisonment, epitomized by the constant sight of police officers making their rounds.

Baby is particularly impactful as an astute portrait of the lost people who have fallen through the cracks the established structure. The film ultimately serves as a poignant examination into making ends meet, non-biological kinship, and the pursuit of self within a demanding urban landscape.