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Capturing the city's relentless energy and pulsating life of São Paulo, filmmaker Caetano's bracing drama zooms in on those who inhabit the outskirts of an perpetually shifting metropolis. Newly freed from juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (João Pedro Mariano) finds himself at a crossroads; deserted by his parents, the innocent young man seeks comfort in the arms of others.

On an evening out with his boisterous group of LGBTQ+ and gender non-conforming friends, Wellington crosses paths with Ronaldo (actor Ricardo Teodoro), a strapping, magnetic hustler significantly older than his age. Illuminated by the wavering neon of a adult movie theater, their introductory rendezvous is intimate and charged, with an edge of danger. Ronaldo swiftly initiates Wellington to the underground scene of the sex trade and drug dealing.

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 endearing innocence. To his patrons, Wellington provides not just his youth and his body, but also fleeting acts of kindness.

In the hectic energy of São Paulo, teeming with bustling alleyways and brightly painted facades, there’s a gnawing loneliness, as rootless people hold fast to one another for momentary bliss.

"The streets might be fraught with peril, yet they are the place where they can find their own family, too."

A Complex Relationship of Love and Control

Ronaldo is simultaneously a partner and a sheltering paternal presence to Wellington, but their connection is thrown off course by envy and economic precarity. Dangers posed by shady figures in the shadow economy seem minor next to the anxiety about government monitoring and imprisonment, represented by the looming presence of police officers in the area.

Baby is especially potent as a perceptive study of the forgotten souls who have been failed by the system. The film functions as a poignant examination into making ends meet, found community, and the quest for identity within a unforgiving urban landscape.