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Evoking the city's relentless energy and dynamic spirit of São Paulo, Marcelo Caetano’s unflinching 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) stands at a pivotal juncture; deserted by his parents, the wide-eyed young man finds solace in the arms of others.

On an night on the town with his boisterous group of gay and non-binary friends, Wellington crosses paths with Ronaldo (Ricardo Teodoro), a hunky, charismatic hustler over double his age. Bathed in the flickering glow of a neon-lit porn cinema, their initial encounter is intimate and charged, with an tinge of peril. Ronaldo swiftly initiates Wellington to the shadowy world of the sex trade and narcotics trafficking.

A Study of Empathy Instead of Exploitation

The director portrays Wellington’s new life of crime with gentle sympathy instead of as a melodramatic morality play. Now using the alias Baby, he approaches his transactional encounters with brash fearlessness and endearing innocence. To his patrons, Wellington offers more than his youth and his body, but also fleeting acts of kindness.

In the electrifying chaos of São Paulo, teeming with bustling alleyways and brightly painted facades, there’s a gnawing loneliness, as unmoored souls cling on to one another for fleeting joy.

"The city are riddled with risk, yet they are where they can forge familial bonds, too."

A Complicated Relationship of Love and Control

Ronaldo is simultaneously a partner and a protective father figure to Wellington, but their relationship is derailed by possessiveness and financial instability. Dangers posed by dubious individuals in the criminal underworld seem minor next to the dread of institutional observation and incarceration, symbolized by the hovering figures of police officers in the area.

Baby is particularly impactful as a perceptive study of the forgotten souls who have slipped through the gaps the system. The film stands as a poignant exploration into making ends meet, chosen family, and the search for identity within a unforgiving urban landscape.