Baby Review: A Sharp Portrait of Queer Brazilian Survivors Adrift in the Established Order
Evoking the urban restlessness and vibrancy of São Paulo, filmmaker Caetano's bracing drama focuses on those who exist on the margins of an ever-changing metropolis. Newly freed from juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (the actor João Pedro Mariano) faces a critical turning point; abandoned by his parents, the impressionable young man discovers refuge in the arms of others.
On an late-night excursion with his lively group of queer and non-binary friends, Wellington crosses paths with Ronaldo (Ricardo Teodoro), a hunky, charismatic hustler more than twice his age. Shrouded in the wavering neon of a XXX cinema, their first meeting is intimate and charged, with an hint of risk. Ronaldo swiftly initiates Wellington to the shadowy world of sex work and narcotics trafficking.
A Portrait of Understanding Instead of Sensationalism
The film illustrates Wellington’s new life of crime with gentle sympathy rather than as a sensationalist cautionary tale. Now using the alias Baby, he approaches his transactional encounters with cocky bravado and touching naivety. To his clients, Wellington offers more than his youth and his body, but also fleeting acts of kindness.
In the hectic energy of São Paulo, filled with bustling alleyways and vibrant storefronts, there’s a deep-seated solitude, as adrift individuals cling on to one another for fleeting joy.
"The city might be filled with danger, yet they are also the space where they can find their own family, too."
A Complex Relationship of Affection and Power
Ronaldo is simultaneously a partner and a sheltering paternal presence to Wellington, but their relationship is derailed by possessiveness and economic precarity. Intimidation from shady figures in the criminal underworld are overshadowed by the anxiety about institutional observation and jail time, symbolized by the looming presence of police officers making their rounds.
Baby is especially potent as an astute portrait of the lost people who have been failed by the social system. The film ultimately serves as a moving look into making ends meet, chosen family, and the search for self within a demanding urban landscape.
