Wellington (João Pedro Mariano) is fresh out of juvenile detention when he embarks on a hedonistic night out with friends that results in him meeting the much older Ronaldo (Ricardo Teodoro). The two meet in a gay porn theatre, and street hustler Ronaldo takes Wellington under his wing as the two become lovers and their lives intrinsically linked. Drawing Wellington, who renames himself ‘Baby’, into the world of sex work and drug dealing, Ronaldo becomes possessive but struggles to control his protégé. As tensions flare, Baby sets his sights on locating his estranged mother while he navigates São Paolo’s dark underworld.
‘Baby’ is the new film from Marcelo Caetano, and it’s a gritty exploration of what life is like on the streets of São Paulo for characters that have little choice than to sell their bodies. While there is a gritty story to be told, Caetano works his way through a few gay cinema tropes before he focuses his attention of Wellington aka Baby. The character is your classic bad boy looking for redemption in a harsh world where no one loves him, but the film adds an interesting dimension thanks to the character of Ronaldo.
Wellington and Ronaldo’s immediate connection is sexual but their relationship goes on quite the rollercoaster journey. While they do become lovers, the two characters operate in a very blurred grey area. At times Ronaldo is like a father to Wellington, at others he’s his pimp and drug dealing partner. That leaves Wellington with no sense of stability as he’s never sure which version of Ronaldo he’s going to encounter. As Wellington gets deeper into the São Paulo underbelly, Ronaldo becomes increasingly jealous and splinters appear in their relationship.
What you never really get a sense of in the film is Wellington’s ability to control his own destiny. Perhaps it’s the naivety of youth but he drifts into sex work and drug dealing with seemingly little thought. His first encounter for a voyeur client, who wants to watch him have sex with Ronaldo, ends nastily yet he continues to pursue his new profession without really taking a moment to understand why he’s doing it. The character feels like the result of the expectations and wants of those around him, so we never truly feel that we get to know who he is underneath it all.
There’s an attempt to ground and humanise him through his search for his mother, but the cliched group of similarly ‘on their own in life’ friends makes it hard to find anything truly unique in Wellington’s story. The most interesting aspect is his relationship with Ronaldo but as that becomes more and more toxic, it’s hard to truly invest in what’s unfolding on screen. There are lots of little elements that the film touches on but doesn’t dive into deeply enough, such as Ronaldo’s role as an actual father and his evolved relationship with his ex-partner.
João Pedro Mariano gives a strong performance as the naïve Wellington. He’s bright-eyed and bushy tailed, wandering aimlessly through his own story doing what others want him to. I wish there’d been a bit more depth to the material for Mariano to really sink his teeth into. Ricardo Teodoro gets more to work with, but there are still plenty of questions marks over his character Ronaldo. I’d have liked a little more exploration here, and a little less focus on the supporting characters in the piece.
‘Baby’ is a worthwhile watch but it never manages to truly rise above the tropes it utilises to find its unique voice. Caetano uses fairly graphic sex scenes to try and bring home the desperation of characters like Wellington but it doesn’t quite hit the right marks. A more rounded exploration of the film’s central character would have benefitted and it may have helped the viewer understand his motivations.
Cast: João Pedro Mariano, Ricardo Teodoro, Ana Flavia Cavalcanti, Bruna Linzmeyer Director: Marcelo Caetano Writers: Gabriel Domingues & Marcelo Caetano Certificate: 18 Duration: 105 mins Released by: Peccadillo Pictures Release date: 12th December 2025 (cinema) 22nd December 2025 (streaming)
