Baby

Glossy, seamy, and yet less exploitative than viewers might assume upon hearing it's (loosely) based on a real-life underage sex work scandal, this drama is an odd yet interesting mix of genres. On the one hand, Baby's premise lends the production a major whiff of drive-in movie trash; on the other, that particular plotline is downplayed in favor of more generic teens-in-trouble materials: romantic complications, mean kids at school, parents who just don't understand. This tilts the drama more in the direction of teen soaps like Riverdale, Gossip Girl, or even fellow Netflix foreign-language privileged-kids potboiler Elite.

In fact, Chiara and Ludo are never even seen plying the trade that they're ever-so-slightly involved in. We see Ludo on one awkward dinner date with an older schlubby guy, and lots of scenes of the pair of them gyrating in brief outfits in clubs while skeevy older guys talk about the pile of money the teens will make them. Meanwhile, outside of the sex work angle, the trials and tribulations of this particular set of rich-and-beautiful teens is decently intriguing even if you've seen it before -- the show's Italian heritage lends it intriguing differences from its American cousins. Who are these Euro teens who smoke, club all night, and have parents who barely notice their existence, except to pass a croissant and espresso to at breakfast? Spending a few hours in their presence isn't earth-shaking, but it is interesting.