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Evoking the urban restlessness and pulsating life of São Paulo, director Marcelo Caetano's gripping drama focuses on those who exist on the margins of an constantly evolving metropolis. Fresh out of juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (the actor João Pedro Mariano) finds himself at a crossroads; left behind by his parents, the wide-eyed young man discovers refuge in the arms of others.

On an night on the town with his rowdy group of gay and non-binary friends, Wellington meets Ronaldo (Ricardo Teodoro), a muscular, charming hustler significantly older than his age. Illuminated by the pulsating light of a adult movie theater, their introductory rendezvous is physical and passionate, with an edge of danger. Ronaldo quickly introduces Wellington to the shadowy world of sex work and selling drugs.

A Study of Empathy Instead of Sensationalism

The director portrays Wellington’s new life of crime with gentle sympathy as opposed to as a exploitative warning story. Now using the alias Baby, he engages in his paid liaisons with cocky bravado and poignant gullibility. To his customers, Wellington lends not only his youth and his body, but also moments of care.

In the feverish excitement of São Paulo, teeming with bustling alleyways and vibrant storefronts, there’s a deep-seated solitude, as adrift individuals grasp at one another for temporary happiness.

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

A Complicated Dynamic of Love and Control

Ronaldo is at once a romantic interest and a protective father figure to Wellington, but their bond is sabotaged by possessiveness and financial instability. Dangers posed by nefarious characters in the criminal underworld pale in comparison to the dread of government monitoring and incarceration, represented by the constant sight of police officers making their rounds.

Baby is especially potent as a perceptive study of the lost people who have fallen through the cracks the system. The film functions as a poignant examination into survival, found community, and the search for self within a demanding urban landscape.