Baby Review: An Astute Portrait of Queer Brazilian Survivors Adrift in the Established Order
Channelling the city's relentless energy and dynamic spirit of São Paulo, Marcelo Caetano’s unflinching drama zooms in on those who live on the fringes of an perpetually shifting metropolis. Recently released from juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (João Pedro Mariano) faces a critical turning point; left behind by his parents, the impressionable young man finds solace in the arms of others.
On an night on the town with his rowdy group of queer and non-binary friends, Wellington encounters Ronaldo (actor Ricardo Teodoro), a muscular, charming hustler over double his age. Bathed in the flickering glow of a neon-lit porn cinema, their first meeting is intimate and charged, with an edge of danger. Ronaldo promptly ushers Wellington to the underground scene of the sex trade and drug dealing.
A Portrait of Understanding Instead of Sensationalism
The film illustrates Wellington’s new life of crime with tender empathy rather than as a sensationalist cautionary tale. Now going by the name of Baby, he engages in his paid liaisons with cocky bravado and endearing innocence. To his customers, Wellington lends not only his youth and his body, but also moments of care.
In the hectic energy of São Paulo, overflowing with crowded backstreets and brightly painted facades, there’s a deep-seated solitude, as unmoored souls grasp at one another for temporary happiness.
"The streets can be filled with danger, yet they are where they can find their own family, too."
A Complicated Dynamic of Love and Control
Ronaldo is both a lover and a guardian-like mentor to Wellington, but their relationship is derailed by envy and monetary insecurity. Threats from nefarious characters in the criminal underworld are overshadowed by the dread of government monitoring and imprisonment, represented by the hovering figures of police officers in the area.
Baby is particularly impactful as a perceptive study of the disenfranchised individuals who have been failed by the social system. The film functions as a poignant exploration into resilience, chosen family, and the search for identity within a unforgiving urban landscape.
