The Film Baby Review: An Astute Portrait of LGBTQ+ Brazilian Survivors Lost in the System

Evoking the urban restlessness and vibrancy of São Paulo, filmmaker Caetano's unflinching drama centres on those who inhabit the outskirts of an constantly evolving metropolis. Fresh out of juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (João Pedro Mariano) stands at a pivotal juncture; left behind by his parents, the innocent young man finds solace in the arms of others.

On an late-night excursion with his rowdy group of gay and non-binary friends, Wellington meets Ronaldo (actor Ricardo Teodoro), a muscular, charming hustler significantly older than his age. Bathed in the wavering neon of a XXX cinema, their introductory rendezvous is intimate and charged, with an edge of danger. Ronaldo swiftly initiates Wellington to the clandestine realm of sex work and narcotics trafficking.

A Study of Empathy Instead of Exploitation

The director portrays Wellington’s new life of crime with tender empathy instead of as a melodramatic morality play. Now using the alias Baby, he enters his commercial trysts with brash fearlessness and endearing innocence. To his customers, Wellington provides not just his youth and his body, but also moments of care.

In the electrifying chaos of São Paulo, filled with busy lanes and colourful shopfronts, there’s a persistent isolation, as unmoored souls hold fast to one another for fleeting joy.

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

A Complex Dynamic of Love and Control

Ronaldo is both a lover and a protective father figure to Wellington, but their bond is sabotaged by envy and economic precarity. Intimidation from dubious individuals in the underworld seem minor next to the anxiety about state surveillance and jail time, symbolized by the looming presence of police officers on patrol.

Baby is especially potent as a perceptive study of the disenfranchised individuals who have fallen through the cracks the social system. The film functions as a moving exploration into survival, found community, and the quest for purpose within a demanding urban landscape.