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Evoking the urban restlessness and pulsating life of São Paulo, filmmaker Caetano's unflinching drama focuses on those who exist on the margins of an ever-changing metropolis. Recently released from juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (the actor João Pedro Mariano) faces a critical turning point; abandoned by his parents, the innocent young man seeks comfort in the arms of others.

On an late-night excursion with his boisterous group of gay and non-binary friends, Wellington crosses paths with Ronaldo (actor Ricardo Teodoro), a hunky, charismatic hustler more than twice his age. Shrouded in the flickering glow of a XXX cinema, their first meeting is sensuous and erotic, with an edge of danger. Ronaldo promptly ushers Wellington to the clandestine realm of prostitution and selling drugs.

A Study of Understanding Rather Than Sensationalism

Caetano depicts Wellington’s new life of crime with gentle sympathy as opposed to as a melodramatic morality play. Now going by the name of Baby, he enters his commercial trysts with cocky bravado and endearing innocence. To his patrons, Wellington provides not just his youth and his body, but also fleeting acts of kindness.

In the electrifying chaos of São Paulo, filled with busy lanes and brightly painted facades, there’s a persistent isolation, as adrift individuals cling on to one another for temporary happiness.

"The city might be filled with danger, yet they are 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 connection is thrown off course by possessiveness and financial instability. Threats from shady figures in the criminal underworld seem minor next to the fear of government monitoring and imprisonment, symbolized by the hovering figures of police officers in the area.

Baby is particularly impactful as an astute portrait of the forgotten souls who have slipped through the gaps the system. The film ultimately serves as a moving exploration into resilience, chosen family, and the pursuit of identity within a demanding urban landscape.