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Evoking the city's relentless energy and vibrancy of São Paulo, filmmaker Caetano's unflinching drama centres on those who live on the fringes of an ever-changing metropolis. Newly freed 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 LGBTQ+ and gender non-conforming friends, Wellington crosses paths with Ronaldo (Ricardo Teodoro), a strapping, magnetic hustler over double his age. Illuminated by the wavering neon of a XXX cinema, their initial encounter is sensuous and erotic, with an tinge of peril. Ronaldo quickly introduces Wellington to the shadowy world of the sex trade and selling drugs.

A Portrait of Understanding Rather Than 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 approaches his transactional encounters with brash fearlessness and touching naivety. To his patrons, Wellington lends not only his youth and his body, but also instances of tenderness.

In the electrifying chaos of São Paulo, teeming with bustling alleyways and vibrant storefronts, there’s a persistent isolation, as adrift individuals grasp at one another for momentary bliss.

"The city can be fraught with peril, yet they are the place where they can discover chosen kin, too."

A Complicated Relationship of Love and Control

Ronaldo is simultaneously a partner and a protective father figure to Wellington, but their connection is thrown off course by jealousy and financial instability. Dangers posed by dubious individuals in the underworld seem minor next to the anxiety about state surveillance and incarceration, symbolized by the looming presence of police officers making their rounds.

Baby is especially potent as a keen observation of the forgotten souls who have been failed by the system. The film stands as a moving examination into resilience, chosen family, and the pursuit of purpose within a unforgiving urban landscape.