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Capturing the metropolitan unease and pulsating life of São Paulo, filmmaker Caetano's gripping drama focuses on those who inhabit the outskirts of an ever-changing metropolis. Fresh out of juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (João Pedro Mariano) finds himself at a crossroads; left behind by his parents, the innocent 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 encounters Ronaldo (Ricardo Teodoro), a muscular, charming hustler over double his age. Illuminated by the pulsating light of a XXX cinema, their initial encounter is sensuous and erotic, with an hint of risk. Ronaldo quickly introduces Wellington to the underground scene of sex work and narcotics trafficking.

A Portrait of Empathy Rather Than Exploitation

Caetano depicts Wellington’s new life of crime with gentle sympathy instead of as a melodramatic morality play. Now adopting the moniker Baby, he engages in his paid liaisons with swaggering confidence and touching naivety. To his patrons, Wellington provides not just his youth and his body, but also moments of care.

In the electrifying chaos of São Paulo, overflowing with busy lanes and colourful shopfronts, there’s a deep-seated solitude, as unmoored souls cling on to one another for fleeting joy.

"The urban landscape 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 sheltering paternal presence to Wellington, but their relationship is derailed by jealousy and monetary insecurity. Intimidation from shady figures in the criminal underworld are overshadowed by the anxiety about state surveillance and incarceration, epitomized by the constant sight of police officers making their rounds.

Baby is particularly impactful as a perceptive study of the forgotten souls who have fallen through the cracks the system. The film ultimately serves as a moving examination into survival, non-biological kinship, and the search for identity within a demanding urban landscape.