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Capturing the urban restlessness and dynamic spirit of São Paulo, filmmaker Caetano's gripping drama zooms in on those who exist on the margins of an constantly evolving metropolis. Newly freed from juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (the actor João Pedro Mariano) faces a critical turning point; abandoned by his parents, the impressionable young man finds solace in the arms of others.

On an evening out with his boisterous group of LGBTQ+ and gender non-conforming friends, Wellington encounters Ronaldo (Ricardo Teodoro), a strapping, magnetic hustler more than twice his age. Illuminated by the wavering neon of a XXX cinema, their initial encounter is intimate and charged, with an hint of risk. Ronaldo promptly ushers Wellington to the underground scene of prostitution and drug dealing.

A Study of Empathy Rather Than Exploitation

The director portrays Wellington’s new life of crime with gentle sympathy instead of as a exploitative warning story. Now adopting the moniker Baby, he approaches his transactional encounters with cocky bravado and touching naivety. To his clients, Wellington provides not just his youth and his body, but also instances of tenderness.

In the feverish excitement of São Paulo, filled with busy lanes and brightly painted facades, there’s a gnawing loneliness, as unmoored souls cling on to one another for temporary happiness.

"The city might be riddled with risk, yet they are where they can discover chosen kin, too."

A Complex Relationship of Love and Control

Ronaldo is simultaneously a partner and a protective father figure to Wellington, but their connection is thrown off course by jealousy and economic precarity. Dangers posed by shady figures in the underworld pale in comparison to the anxiety about government monitoring and incarceration, symbolized by the hovering figures of police officers on patrol.

Baby is especially potent as a keen observation of the disenfranchised individuals who have fallen through the cracks the established structure. The film ultimately serves as a poignant examination into making ends meet, chosen family, and the search for self within a harsh urban landscape.