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Channelling the metropolitan unease and vibrancy of São Paulo, filmmaker Caetano's unflinching drama focuses on those who inhabit the outskirts of an perpetually shifting metropolis. Fresh out of juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (João Pedro Mariano) faces a critical turning point; left behind 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 meets Ronaldo (actor Ricardo Teodoro), a hunky, charismatic hustler more than twice his age. Illuminated by the pulsating light of a neon-lit porn cinema, their introductory rendezvous is intimate and charged, with an hint of risk. Ronaldo promptly ushers Wellington to the shadowy world of sex work and narcotics trafficking.

A Study of Understanding Rather Than Sensationalism

The director portrays Wellington’s new life of crime with compassionate understanding as opposed to as a melodramatic morality play. Now using the alias Baby, he engages in his paid liaisons with brash fearlessness and poignant gullibility. To his patrons, Wellington offers more than his youth and his body, but also fleeting acts of kindness.

In the hectic energy of São Paulo, filled with busy lanes and brightly painted facades, there’s a deep-seated solitude, as unmoored souls grasp at one another for momentary bliss.

"The city can be fraught with peril, yet they are where they can find their own family, too."

A Complex Dynamic of Affection and Power

Ronaldo is simultaneously a partner and a sheltering paternal presence to Wellington, but their relationship is derailed by possessiveness and monetary insecurity. Threats from nefarious characters in the shadow economy seem minor next to the fear of institutional observation and incarceration, symbolized by the looming presence of police officers on patrol.

Baby is most powerful as a perceptive study of the lost people who have slipped through the gaps the established structure. The film stands as a heartfelt exploration into survival, chosen family, and the search for purpose within a unforgiving urban landscape.