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Capturing the urban restlessness and pulsating life of São Paulo, filmmaker Caetano's unflinching drama centres on those who live on the fringes of an constantly evolving metropolis. Recently released from juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (the actor João Pedro Mariano) finds himself at a crossroads; 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 LGBTQ+ and gender non-conforming friends, Wellington crosses paths with Ronaldo (actor Ricardo Teodoro), a strapping, magnetic hustler significantly older than his age. Shrouded in the flickering glow of a adult movie theater, their first meeting is physical and passionate, with an hint of risk. Ronaldo promptly ushers Wellington to the shadowy world of prostitution and selling drugs.

A Portrait of Empathy Instead of Exploitation

The film illustrates Wellington’s new life of crime with compassionate understanding rather than as a exploitative warning story. Now using the alias Baby, he enters his commercial trysts with cocky bravado and touching naivety. To his clients, Wellington offers more than his youth and his body, but also instances of tenderness.

In the electrifying chaos of São Paulo, filled with crowded backstreets and vibrant storefronts, there’s a deep-seated solitude, as unmoored souls hold fast to one another for momentary bliss.

"The urban landscape are riddled with risk, yet they are where they can find their own family, too."

A Complicated Relationship of Affection and Power

Ronaldo is both a lover and a protective father figure to Wellington, but their bond is sabotaged by possessiveness and monetary insecurity. Dangers posed by dubious individuals in the underworld seem minor next to the fear of government monitoring and jail time, symbolized by the looming presence of police officers making their rounds.

Baby is most powerful as a perceptive study of the disenfranchised individuals who have fallen through the cracks the social system. The film ultimately serves as a moving look into making ends meet, non-biological kinship, and the quest for purpose within a harsh urban landscape.