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Channelling the urban restlessness and vibrancy of São Paulo, filmmaker Caetano's gripping drama focuses on those who live on the fringes of an perpetually shifting metropolis. Newly freed from juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (João Pedro Mariano) finds himself at a crossroads; left behind by his parents, the innocent young man finds solace in the arms of others.

On an late-night excursion with his lively group of LGBTQ+ and gender non-conforming friends, Wellington encounters Ronaldo (actor Ricardo Teodoro), a strapping, magnetic hustler more than twice his age. Bathed in the wavering neon of a neon-lit porn cinema, their first meeting is sensuous and erotic, with an edge of danger. Ronaldo swiftly initiates Wellington to the clandestine realm of prostitution and narcotics trafficking.

A Portrait of Understanding Rather Than Exploitation

The film illustrates Wellington’s new life of crime with gentle sympathy rather than as a melodramatic morality play. Now adopting the moniker Baby, he engages in his paid liaisons with brash fearlessness and poignant gullibility. To his clients, Wellington offers more than his youth and his body, but also fleeting acts of kindness.

In the hectic energy of São Paulo, teeming with bustling alleyways and colourful shopfronts, there’s a persistent isolation, as unmoored souls cling on to one another for fleeting joy.

"The urban landscape can be fraught with peril, yet they are the place where they can discover chosen kin, too."

A Complicated Relationship of Love and Control

Ronaldo is at once a romantic interest and a sheltering paternal presence to Wellington, but their connection is thrown off course by possessiveness and financial instability. Threats from dubious individuals in the criminal underworld seem minor next to the fear of state surveillance and incarceration, epitomized by the constant sight of police officers in the area.

Baby is especially potent as a keen observation of the lost people who have slipped through the gaps the system. The film ultimately serves as a heartfelt exploration into making ends meet, found community, and the quest for purpose within a unforgiving urban landscape.