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Evoking the metropolitan unease and pulsating life of São Paulo, director Marcelo Caetano's gripping drama focuses on those who live on the fringes of an constantly evolving metropolis. Newly freed from juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (the actor João Pedro Mariano) finds himself at a crossroads; abandoned by his parents, the innocent young man discovers refuge in the arms of others.

On an night on the town with his lively group of queer and non-binary friends, Wellington crosses paths with Ronaldo (actor Ricardo Teodoro), a hunky, charismatic hustler over double his age. Shrouded in the wavering neon of a neon-lit porn cinema, their introductory rendezvous is sensuous and erotic, with an hint of risk. Ronaldo swiftly initiates Wellington to the shadowy world of the sex trade and drug dealing.

A Study of Empathy Rather Than Sensationalism

The film illustrates Wellington’s new life of crime with tender empathy as opposed to as a exploitative warning story. Now using the alias Baby, he engages in his paid liaisons with swaggering confidence and touching naivety. To his patrons, 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 vibrant storefronts, there’s a persistent isolation, as adrift individuals cling on to one another for temporary happiness.

"The urban landscape are fraught with peril, yet they are also the space where they can find their own family, too."

A Complicated Dynamic of Affection and Power

Ronaldo is at once a romantic interest and a sheltering paternal presence to Wellington, but their bond is sabotaged by possessiveness and monetary insecurity. Threats from nefarious characters in the shadow economy pale in comparison to the dread of institutional observation and imprisonment, symbolized by the hovering figures of police officers in the area.

Baby is especially potent as an astute portrait of the forgotten souls who have been failed by the system. The film ultimately serves as a moving look into survival, non-biological kinship, and the search for purpose within a unforgiving urban landscape.