Baby Review: An Astute Depiction of LGBTQ+ Brazilian Survivors Adrift in the Established Order

Evoking the metropolitan unease and dynamic spirit of São Paulo, Marcelo Caetano’s gripping drama zooms in on those who exist on the margins of an constantly evolving metropolis. Newly freed from juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (the actor João Pedro Mariano) stands at a pivotal juncture; deserted by his parents, the innocent young man seeks comfort in the arms of others.

On an evening out with his boisterous group of LGBTQ+ and gender non-conforming friends, Wellington encounters Ronaldo (Ricardo Teodoro), a muscular, charming hustler over double his age. Shrouded in the flickering glow of a adult movie theater, their initial encounter is sensuous and erotic, with an edge of danger. Ronaldo promptly ushers Wellington to the underground scene of prostitution and selling drugs.

A Portrait of Understanding Instead of Sensationalism

The film illustrates Wellington’s new life of crime with compassionate understanding rather than as a exploitative warning story. Now going by the name of Baby, he enters his commercial trysts with swaggering confidence and touching naivety. To his clients, Wellington provides not just his youth and his body, but also fleeting acts of kindness.

In the electrifying chaos of São Paulo, overflowing with crowded backstreets and brightly painted facades, there’s a gnawing loneliness, as adrift individuals cling on to one another for temporary happiness.

"The streets are fraught with peril, yet they are also the space where they can discover chosen kin, too."

A Complex Relationship of Love and Control

Ronaldo is both a lover and a protective father figure to Wellington, but their relationship is derailed by possessiveness and economic precarity. Intimidation from nefarious characters in the underworld are overshadowed by the fear of institutional observation and jail time, symbolized by the constant sight of police officers in the area.

Baby is especially potent as a keen observation of the lost people who have fallen through the cracks the system. The film stands as a moving look into survival, found community, and the search for self within a unforgiving urban landscape.