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Capturing the urban restlessness and vibrancy of São Paulo, filmmaker Caetano's bracing drama focuses on those who exist on the margins of an ever-changing metropolis. Fresh out of juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (João Pedro Mariano) stands at a pivotal juncture; abandoned by his parents, the impressionable young man seeks comfort in the arms of others.

On an night on the town with his boisterous group of gay and non-binary friends, Wellington encounters Ronaldo (actor Ricardo Teodoro), a muscular, charming hustler significantly older than his age. Shrouded in the pulsating light of a neon-lit porn cinema, their initial encounter is intimate and charged, with an edge of danger. Ronaldo promptly ushers Wellington to the underground scene of sex work and selling drugs.

A Study of Understanding Instead of Sensationalism

The director portrays Wellington’s new life of crime with tender empathy as opposed to as a exploitative warning story. Now adopting the moniker Baby, he approaches his transactional encounters with cocky bravado and poignant gullibility. To his patrons, Wellington provides not just his youth and his body, but also fleeting acts of kindness.

In the feverish excitement of São Paulo, teeming with bustling alleyways and vibrant storefronts, there’s a gnawing loneliness, as rootless people hold fast to one another for fleeting joy.

"The streets might be filled with danger, yet they are where they can discover chosen kin, too."

A Complicated Relationship of Love and Control

Ronaldo is both a lover and a guardian-like mentor to Wellington, but their relationship is derailed by envy and economic precarity. Threats from nefarious characters in the shadow economy pale in comparison to the dread of institutional observation and jail time, symbolized by the constant sight of police officers in the area.

Baby is most powerful as a keen observation of the lost people who have fallen through the cracks the established structure. The film functions as a poignant exploration into making ends meet, found community, and the pursuit of self within a harsh urban landscape.