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Channelling the metropolitan unease and dynamic spirit of São Paulo, director Marcelo Caetano's gripping drama centres on those who exist on the margins of an perpetually shifting metropolis. Fresh out of juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (João Pedro Mariano) stands at a pivotal juncture; deserted by his parents, the innocent young man seeks comfort in the arms of others.

On an evening out with his lively group of gay and non-binary friends, Wellington crosses paths with Ronaldo (actor Ricardo Teodoro), a strapping, magnetic hustler significantly older than his age. Shrouded in the flickering glow of a XXX cinema, their first meeting is sensuous and erotic, with an edge of danger. Ronaldo swiftly initiates Wellington to the clandestine realm of the sex trade and drug dealing.

A Study of Empathy Rather Than Sensationalism

Caetano depicts Wellington’s new life of crime with tender empathy rather than as a exploitative warning story. Now using the alias Baby, he enters his commercial trysts with cocky bravado and touching naivety. To his clients, Wellington offers more than his youth and his body, but also instances of tenderness.

In the feverish excitement of São Paulo, filled with busy lanes and colourful shopfronts, there’s a gnawing loneliness, as rootless people cling on to one another for momentary bliss.

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

A Complex Relationship of Love and Control

Ronaldo is simultaneously a partner and a guardian-like mentor to Wellington, but their relationship is derailed by possessiveness and economic precarity. Threats from dubious individuals in the shadow economy seem minor next to the dread of institutional observation and incarceration, symbolized by the looming presence of police officers making their rounds.

Baby is especially potent as an astute portrait of the disenfranchised individuals who have been failed by the established structure. The film stands as a heartfelt exploration into survival, chosen family, and the pursuit of purpose within a harsh urban landscape.