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Channelling the metropolitan unease and dynamic spirit of São Paulo, Marcelo Caetano’s unflinching drama centres on those who live on the fringes of an ever-changing metropolis. Recently released from juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (João Pedro Mariano) stands at a pivotal juncture; abandoned by his parents, the impressionable young man seeks comfort in the arms of others.

On an late-night excursion with his rowdy group of queer and non-binary friends, Wellington meets Ronaldo (actor Ricardo Teodoro), a hunky, charismatic hustler more than twice his age. Bathed in the wavering neon of a neon-lit porn cinema, their first meeting is intimate and charged, with an tinge of peril. Ronaldo quickly introduces Wellington to the clandestine realm of the sex trade and narcotics trafficking.

A Portrait of Understanding Rather Than Exploitation

The film illustrates Wellington’s new life of crime with gentle sympathy instead of as a sensationalist cautionary tale. Now adopting the moniker Baby, he enters his commercial trysts with swaggering confidence and endearing innocence. To his patrons, Wellington provides not just his youth and his body, but also moments of care.

In the hectic energy of São Paulo, teeming with busy lanes and vibrant storefronts, there’s a gnawing loneliness, as unmoored souls cling on to one another for momentary bliss.

"The urban landscape are filled with danger, yet they are the place where they can find their own family, too."

A Complicated Relationship of Love and Control

Ronaldo is at once a romantic interest and a sheltering paternal presence to Wellington, but their connection is thrown off course by envy and economic precarity. Intimidation from dubious individuals in the shadow economy are overshadowed by the dread of state surveillance and jail time, represented by the looming presence of police officers in the area.

Baby is especially potent as a perceptive study of the disenfranchised individuals who have been failed by the system. The film stands as a poignant exploration into resilience, found community, and the quest for purpose within a demanding urban landscape.