Breaded Life

Breaded Life is a 2021 Nigerian dramedy film written and directed by Biodun Stephen. Co-produced by Biodun Stephen, Tara Ajibulu and Kayode Sowade, it stars Timini Egbuson, Bimbo Ademoye, Tina Mba and Adedimeji Lateef. It premiered on April 10, 2021 at iMax Cinema Lagos, and was released nationwide on 16 April 2021. Breaded Life is a spin-off of the 2016 romantic comedy, Picture Perfect, and contains some of the original cast members.

Plot
Similola Smart-Cole (Tina Mba) is frustrated at her son Sunmi's (Timini Egbuson) sloth and lack of ambition despite her repeated warnings. After he is arrested for supposedly breaking into his mother's property, he is stunned to discover that his family, friends, and acquaintances have denied him, and Similola is banned from returning to the family home. Abandoned in the streets, he takes to begging until Todowede (Bimbo Ademoye)—a cynical bread hawker who had previously warded off Smart-Cole's security guard Isky's (MC Lively) advances—recognises him. She takes him to her mini-flat within the hoi polloi neighbourhood where she accommodates him on the condition that he pays his own way. Todowede continuously derides him throughout his stay there, and the spoilt, entitled Sunmi struggles to adapt to his new life as a bag carrier.

Todowede introduces Sunmi to Jugunu (Lateef Adedimeji) who offers him a job in his bakery, and Sumni proves to be a diligent worker, gradually meeting his new boss' approval. When Todowede takes ill with malaria, Sumni nurses her back to health, and upon her recovery, the pair celebrate her birthday, a gesture which touches Todowade. Sumni also drafts a business plan which he pitches to Jugunu (Amuda Eko), and its success leads to a franchise. Despite unwanted advances from Riski Baby (Nkechi Blessing), a flirtatious food trader with her sights set on Sumni, and Todowade's Igbo ex-boyfriend Caliltus (Tomiwa Sege) who had cheated on her, the unlikely pair from different worlds end up together and move into a bigger home.

Similola's nanny Aunty Agy visits Todowade's newly established store and is shocked to find Sumni there. She reveals that his family has been searching for him for the last five years, but Sumni, remembering how his nearest and dearest had abandoned him, asks her to leave, and he collapses. In hospital, he wakes up and realises his ordeal had been a dream. Similola visits her son in hospital where she narrates how he had stormed out during their argument and got into a car accident which left him in a coma. Sumni also describes life in his alternate universe during the coma and the friends he had made, including Todowade. Upon discharge, Sumni spots Todowede selling bread as his mother drives them home, and he jumps out and asks her to come to his house by 9 AM the next day, to which she grudgingly agrees.

In a post-credits scene, Sumni expresses to his mother how he wishes to establish a new career as a baker, and Aunty Agy enters to announce that Todowede is outside waiting for Sumni.

Cast

 * Timini Egbuson - Sumisola Smart-Cole
 * Bimbo Ademoye - Todewade
 * Tina Mba - Simisola Smart-Cole
 * Bisola Aiyeola - Aunty Agy
 * Bolanle Ninalowo - Jobe
 * Adedimeji Lateef - Jugunu
 * MC Lively - Isky
 * Amuda Eko - Jigalan
 * Funny Bone - New Security Guard
 * Jide Kosoko - Police DPO
 * Lizzy Jay
 * Nkechi Blessing Sunday - Riski Baby
 * Tomiwa Sage - Caliltus
 * Karen Spikes

Production and release
According to Biodun Stephen, Breaded Life is a true-life story inspired by the experiences of people around her.

The production is a collaboration between Shutterspeed project and David Wade. The filming lasted 16 days. The production team had to deal with Area Boys while filming at Agege Market.

Reception
A reviewer for Sodas N Popcorn noted that Breaded Life "hit the right notes" but it had some flaws relating to the plot twist at the end and the general message of the film. Another reviewer concluded that the film was worth the cinema fee, however, noting that Egbuson had been type cast as a spoilt kid while Ninalowo had been typecast as an area boy.

The movie grossed about ₦10 million in the opening weekend and ₦32 million by the second week.