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Capturing the urban restlessness and pulsating life of São Paulo, director Marcelo Caetano's gripping drama centres on those who inhabit the outskirts of an perpetually shifting metropolis. Fresh out of juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (the actor João Pedro Mariano) faces a critical turning point; deserted by his parents, the wide-eyed young man finds solace in the arms of others.

On an night on the town with his rowdy group of queer and non-binary friends, Wellington crosses paths with Ronaldo (Ricardo Teodoro), a hunky, charismatic hustler over double his age. Illuminated by the wavering neon of a neon-lit porn cinema, their initial encounter is intimate and charged, with an edge of danger. Ronaldo quickly introduces Wellington to the clandestine realm of sex work and selling drugs.

A Study of Empathy Instead of Exploitation

The film illustrates Wellington’s new life of crime with tender empathy rather than as a sensationalist cautionary tale. Now adopting the moniker Baby, he engages in his paid liaisons with brash fearlessness and endearing innocence. To his patrons, Wellington lends not only his youth and his body, but also instances of tenderness.

In the hectic energy of São Paulo, filled with bustling alleyways and brightly painted facades, there’s a persistent isolation, as adrift individuals cling on to one another for temporary happiness.

"The urban landscape might be riddled with risk, yet they are where they can forge familial bonds, too."

A Complex Dynamic of Affection and Power

Ronaldo is at once a romantic interest and a guardian-like mentor to Wellington, but their bond is sabotaged by possessiveness and economic precarity. Threats from shady figures in the shadow economy are overshadowed by the dread of government monitoring and jail time, epitomized by the looming presence of police officers in the area.

Baby is especially potent as a keen observation of the forgotten souls who have fallen through the cracks the established structure. The film functions as a poignant look into survival, found community, and the quest for identity within a harsh urban landscape.