The Disney+ Violent Crime Thriller With A Fan-Favorite Genre Icon
These days, it truly seems as though Hollywood has exhausted all possible options for films that center on a man with a mundane job who turns out to be a tough-as-nails super-spy with the ability to spin-kick 30 men into an early grave with the single thrust of his mighty boot. The Transporter, The Accountant, Nobody, and most recently, The Beekeeper all fall into this category, with no end to the genre in sight if audience ratings and box office returns are any indication. One such film that also checks this box, 2022’s The Baker, stars Ron Perlman in the leading role, as a baker who’s here to kick butt and bake bread… and he’s all out of bread.
Ron Perlman Is The Baker
The Baker is available to stream now on the Hulu section of Disney+, which is currently still in beta and requires a subscription to both services to access. Despite this hurdle, the section offers a wide array of popular films and shows that have shared ownership rights, such as The Baker, Boss Level, and another fan-favorite Ron Perlman outing, Pacific Rim. The film was originally distributed by Sony Pictures before entangling its streaming distribution rights with 21st Century Fox, which is now owned by Disney, making ownership of the IP difficult to directly trace.
An Old Dog Learns Some New Tricks
Ron Perlman leads the cast of The Baker as Pappi Sabinski, a United States veteran suffering from PTSD due to his time in combat, who steps up to fight off waves of gangsters to protect his granddaughter, despite having just met her for the first time. Sabinski’s relationship with his son is incredibly strained, and his ailing mental health makes it difficult for the old man to make or maintain any close bonds. Over the course of the film, however, his paternal instincts kick in, as he bonds with his newfound granddaughter in the midst of the violent chaos.
All About Family
The Baker was written by Paolo Mancini and Thomas Michael, and directed by The Art of the Steal‘s Jonathan Sobol. The film stars Elias Koteas, Harvey Keitel, Joel David Moore, Emma Ho, and of course, Ron Perlman, who is best known for his collaborations with Guillermo del Toro, such as Cronos, Nightmare Alley, Pacific Rim, and both live-action Hellboy adaptations helmed by the beloved filmmaker. Though The Baker received mixed reviews, audiences have connected with its themes of family bonds and protecting the innocent, making it a beloved movie to many viewers.
Praise For Perlman
The Baker was shot entirely in the beautiful Cayman Islands in 2021 and first premiered at the Austin Film Festival in 2022. On the review aggregate site Rotten Tomatoes, The Baker holds a 57 percent critic score, with most critics specifically praising Perlman’s performance and the well-made action set-pieces in the film, and deriding the sometimes stale writing and pacing.
Available On Disney+ But There’s A Catch
If you haven’t yet had the pleasure of checking this one out, or are simply due for a rewatch, The Baker is available to stream now in the Hulu section of Disney+, which requires a subscription to both services. Just be sure to swap the popcorn for a fresh loaf of sourdough.
