Baby
Freshly released from juvenile detention, 18-year-old Wellington (João Pedro Mariano) returns to São Paulo to discover that his disapproving parents have moved in secret, leaving him to fend for himself. While out with his friends, he meets the much older Ronaldo (Ricardo Teodoro) at an erotic cinema. Ronaldo soon takes the youngster under his wing and introduces him to the world of sex work and drug dealing. Now going by the name Baby, Wellington finds himself thrust into the city’s strange underbelly as he searches for a place where he belongs. Director and co-writer Marcelo Caetano approaches this slice-of-life drama with tenderness, creating a moving portrait of queer youth.
On the precipice of adulthood, Wellington is blissfully naïve to the world he finds himself in. He doesn’t realise that Ronaldo is an escort when they first meet, nor is he aware of what he’s signed up for when he agrees to see a client with his new mentor for the first time. Mariano brings a wide-eyed innocence to the role that shines through his performance, subsequently making it easy for viewers to sympathise with him and his situation. Teodoro is also excellent here. His rugged charisma is the perfect counterpoint to Wellington’s gentle nature as he plays the part of lover, teacher, and father figure. Their relationship is a complex one, and while the script doesn’t attempt to unpack it, the actors’ onscreen connection makes an impactful impression.
Since his release, Wellington drifts from one situation to the next as he completes jobs with Ronaldo while searching for his family’s whereabouts. Caetano does an excellent job at keeping the narrative focused and moving throughout the majority of his film. However, the exception is when events take a detour around halfway through the feature, when Wellington runs off with another man. It doesn’t add much to the plot and mainly serves to temporarily cause conflict between the leads. Once the dust has settled, the script gets back on track, raising the tension to heart-pounding effect in a dramatic finale before concluding Wellington’s tale with the same amount of affection shown throughout the rest of the movie.
Led by exceptional performances from Mariano and Teodoro, Caetano’s Baby is a heartfelt coming-of-age drama that puts the spotlight on São Paulo’s queer youth.
Andrew Murray
Baby is released nationwide on 12th December 2025.
Watch the trailer for Baby here:
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