christian movie reviews a man called otto

A Man Called Otto

Reviewed by: Alexander Malsan CONTRIBUTOR

Man forced to retire from his job of nearly 40 years

Difficulties of being a widower

An older man who has given up on life following the loss of his wife, become bitter, and wants to end it all

Bitterness, depressing negativity, loveless ways of thinking about the world

A short tempered grumpy old man

No longer seeing any purpose in one’s life following the loss of a spouse

DEPRESSION —Are there biblical examples of depression and how to deal with it? Answer

What should a Christian do if overwhelmed with depression?

Challenging such a person to see life differently

SUICIDE —What does the Bible say? Answer

If a Christian commits suicide, will they go to Heaven? Answer

Why does God allow innocent people to suffer?

What about the issue of suffering ? Doesn’t this prove that there is no God and that we are on our own? Answer

Does God feel our pain?

ORIGIN OF BAD THINGS —Why are they in our world if a good God created us? Answer

For a follower of Christ, what is LOVE —a feeling, an emotion, or an action?

What is DEATH? and WHY does it exist? Answer in the Bible

What is ETERNAL LIFE ? and what does the Bible say about it?

What is ETERNAL DEATH ?

O tto does not like people… period. He goes to extremes just to avoid having to interact with them, and what little interaction he does have with those he comes in contact with he calls, “idiots.” Despite Otto’s short temperament and lack of social grace, the neighbors tend to look the other way and still interact with Otto ( Tom Hanks ) from time to time, even calling on him for help on occasion.

Take for example, Otto’s new neighbors, Marisol ( Mariana Treviño ), Tommy ( Manuel Garcia-Rulfo ) and their two daughters, Luna and Abbie. They have just moved across the street and like good neighbors, they walk over and introduce themselves to Otto. Otto says his quick hello and shuts the door. Marisol, in her mind, knows there’s more to Otto than meets the eye and is determined to make him feel cared for.

Over time, Marisol and Tommy ask Otto for assistance on a variety of things: from house maintenance, driving lessons, to even babysitting. While Otto wants to, at first, say no to this family, he just can’t seem to, and he finds himself warming up to them… just a little.

The world is full of many wonders, and Otto just happens to be one of them.

I have had SO many conversations with myself about how I was going to try and piece together my thoughts and compose my review for “A Man Called Otto.” This is, in part, due to the heavy themes that the piece sometimes delves into (which I will address in a minute) as well as Tom Hanks’ ability to play a role that, truthfully, is very out-of-character for him.

First, “A Man…” presents several instances of a character (I won’t say who) who attempts, and almost successfully, commits suicide. These moments on screen are so intense that I gasped in shock at what I witnessed (or almost witnessed). The issue itself, suicide and the value of life, is handled with respect though. It’s never laughed off (like in one of the “Halloween” films) or proclaiming that suicide is an answer.

In fact, what I can appreciate is the value of life is key to “A Man Called Otto.” “A Man…” speaks to the very messages of, “Life is ALWAYS worth living,” to “carry each other in times of struggle,” and that “everyone, everywhere matters. Even the grump next door.” These messages, some subtle, some not, make their way throughout the film, with many thematic moments bringing tears to my eyes at certain points.

Regarding the performances itself, I was skeptical walking into the theater looking at Tom Hanks in the role of Otto. I have not seen the original Swedish version of “A Man …”, so I cannot compare the versions. Having said that, like the characters on screens themselves, it took some time before I warmed up to the idea of Hanks playing Otto (in fact I kept thinking, “Wouldn’t someone like J.K. Simmons have been a better choice?”). But then as Hanks made his transition throughout the film, revealing subtle nuances in his performance, I realized what a good choice Hanks was and why Hanks wanted this role. Additionally, Mariana Treviño was hilarious and at times powerful as Marisol.

Cinematically, the film is above average in its other aspects of quality. The pacing was slow in the second act (I think I checked my watch twice), and moderately slow in the final act as well but not to the point where I was wishing for the end. There are some moments where the film stops, particularly during Otto’s flashbacks, where the audience is allowed to really grasp the pain Otto has endured, both physical and emotional, for most of his life, and I appreciate how the director went about it.

One thing I will STRONGLY object to is that is transgender messaging that made its way into the film (e.g. There is a transgender character that Otto takes in for the night because he was kicked out of the house by his dad for being transgender) and this transgender character plays a prominent role later on in the film as well. Why does transgender have to be a part of this film at all? Why does Hollywood have to proselytize its dangerous messaging ad nauseum ? I don’t go to movies to be preached at (unless it’s a Christian or faith-based film). I go to escape.

Content of Concern

*Warning: Some graphic descriptions regarding suicide are listed below. Reader discretion is advised**

VIOLENCE: As I said, a character attempts to commit suicide in a variety of ways such as hanging themselves (this is where he comes the closest to succeeding), trying to suffocate in a closed running car, shooting themself with a shotgun, and jumping in front a train. A different character falls on some train tracks, and he is saved by the character who was planning to stand on the tracks and get hit by a train (he still tries to get hit, but doesn’t succeed). He talks once about having a “car running him over.” Someone mentions you don’t “want me to cut my hand and have it bleed on your floor.” While Otto is teaching Marisol how to drive, while stopped, a man honks his horn and yells, and Otto gets out and holds the guy up against his car threatening him. Another character threatens someone. We witness a bus rollover with a couple characters hurt in the process (we later learn a character who was pregnant lost a child due to the crash). A character dies. A woman throws rocks at a stray cat.

VULGARITY: “F*cker” (1), “Sh*t” (6 —including “I'm gonna kill that piece of sh*t”), SOB (2), B*stard(s) (4), “Pr*cks” (1), “Groin” (1), “P*ssing” (1), “Brown guys” (UPS trucks), “Cr*p” (5), “S*cks” (1), “Knotheads(?)” (1), “Idiots” (used a lot), “You little bugger ”

Slang definition: Bugger

PROFANITY: “My G*d” (5), “G*d-d*mn” (2), “ Jeez ” (1). God’s name is used in vain 11 other times. “ H*ll ” (7), “ D*mn ” (2).

Slang definition: Jeez

SEXUAL CONTENT: A man wearing tight, revealing pants stretches, causing Otto to ask the man’s girlfriend if she can tell him to “stop stretching his groin in public.” A young Otto and Sonya kiss a couple times. Marisol and Tommy kiss, too. A husband and wife lay in bed, covered, and that’s it.

WOKEISM: As I said, a transgender character plays a prominent role in the last portion of the film and there’s some LGBTQIA+ messaging in the film (talks about how he got kicked out due to being transgender, likes sports now, etc.).

ALCOHOL: Someone brings alcohol to an event but no one drinks it.

OTHER: There is some dog urine on the sidewalk. We see a cat frozen in the snow (he is found and taken care of and recovers).

“A Man Called Otto” has two primary messages. The first is to “love our neighbors” (even if we don’t like them). Not only is loving your neighbor one of the Ten Commandments , but Jesus himself touched upon it in his messages…

“But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. — Luke 6:27-28 ESV

“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.” — John 15:12 ESV

The second message of the film speaks about living one’s life, to live with purpose and to never take your life for granted. This is an Earthly message. The more Godly message is to live with purpose for God. Our life is not ours alone. It belongs to our Creator. Regenerate Christians were bought with a heavy price and so we must honor that sacrifice by living for Him, bearing good fruit in Jesus’ name.

“Before I formed you [ Jeremiah ] in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations. — Jeremiah 1:5 NASB

“Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord , the fruit of the womb a reward.” — Psalm 127:3 ESV

“For “‘In him we live and move and have our being’; as even some of your own poets have said, “‘For we are indeed his offspring.’” — Acts 17:28 ESV

Final Thoughts

“A Man Called Otto” made me ponder some of my choices as a Christian. Who have I ignored? Who have I forgotten? Where do I lack compassion? These important messages certainly made their way across and could be nice jumping points for great discussions… but only for mature audiences. Several scenes involving suicide, profanity and vulgarity and a LGBTQIA+ message thrown in do not make this a family, or necessarily, Christian-friendly film for all audiences. Strong viewer discretion is advised.

• Violence: Heavy
• Profane language: Moderately Heavy
• Wokeism: Moderately Heavy
• Vulgar/Crude language: Moderate
• Sex: Moderate
• Drugs/Alcohol: Minor
• Nudity: Minor —cleavage
• Occult: None

See list of Relevant Issues—questions-and-answers .

PLEASE share your observations and insights to be posted here.

A MAN CALLED OTTO

"the realities of grief ".

What You Need To Know:

Miscellaneous Immorality: Grieving man often calls people idiots, but neighborly love transforms his character for the better.

More Detail:

A MAN CALLED OTTO stars Tom Hanks as a grumpy senior citizen grieving his beloved wife’s death whose attempts to commit suicide are interrupted by the needs and compassion of the Latino wife and mother whose family moves next door to him and transforms his life. A MAN CALLED OTTO is an entertaining, well-acted and heartwarming, with a strong message of love thy neighbor, but it’s undone by a theme depicting attempts of suicide and transgender political commentary directed towards teenagers.

As the movie opens, Otto is deeply depressed over the loss of his wife. Every day Otto tries to keep things in order on his street, including making sure the street gate is closed and that people are using their parking permits correctly. He’s become a bit of a grump at everyone with whom he interacts. One day, he decides that he would like to be with his wife, Sonya, and tries to commit suicide by hanging a rope to the ceiling. The rope ends up breaking, and he falls instead of dying.

At the same time, Otto sees an Hispanic family trying to parallel park their car and decides to go out and tell them they are doing it all wrong. The family consists of a feisty, pregnant mother, Marisol, her husband and two cute little girls.

Marisol is spunky and friendly and doesn’t let Otto go unnoticed. She decides to bring him food, to thank him, and asks for some tools for fixing the house. Even unintentionally, Otto starts to find some purpose in the midst of his grief, through the needs of helping his neighbors. Though this is the case, Otto still tries to take his own life, thinking if he does so he will be with his wife Sonya in Heaven.

Meanwhile, some flashbacks show how Otto met his wife and fell in love.

A MAN CALL OTTO is a well-made, entertaining movie with many heartwarming moments. Despite the movie’s references to attempted suicide, it has a morally uplifting message of love thy neighbor. Tom Hanks once again does a great job in the role he’s playing. Also, Mariana Trevino plays the character of Marisol exceptionally well. The supporting cast adds some additional flair.

However, some of the movie’s messaging seems to be for the pure purpose of preaching a political agenda. It comes off as extraneous and gratuitous, as well as dilutes the purity of the love thy neighbor message. At one point, Otto learns that a young man delivering newspapers is actually transgender. The young man, who has a light five o’clock shadow, tells Otto his transgender status when he comes to Otto asking to stay at Otto’s place because his father has kicked him out of the house. Otto tells him that his father is “an idiot.” So, the young man starts staying at Otto’s house, and they become good friends. This implies all who do not support their children making a drastic decision of transition is an “idiot”.

Finally, A MAN CALLED OTTO has about 30 obscenities and profanities. Also, Otto tries to commit suicide multiple times, and viewers see how he’s trying to do it. Suicide is a very tricky thing to display in a visual way, because studies show people who are themselves dealing with depressive and suicidal thoughts may see the steps taken in a movie and may be influenced.

So, ultimately, media-wise, sensitive moviegoers will find the movie unacceptable, despite its positive, heartwarming content.

Now more than ever we’re bombarded by darkness in media, movies, and TV. Movieguide® has fought back for almost 40 years, working within Hollywood to propel uplifting and positive content. We’re proud to say we’ve collaborated with some of the top industry players to influence and redeem entertainment for Jesus. Still, the most influential person in Hollywood is you. The viewer.

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A man called otto, common sense media reviewers.

Neighborly love warms comedy about suicidal curmudgeon.

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

While movie deals with suicidal ideation and suici

Marisol, an immigrant and mother, is persistent, c

Positive characters who are diverse in terms of ag

Several suicide attempts (hanging, carbon monoxide

A married couple's love story is told from beginni

Strong language includes "bastard," "crap," "godda

Recurring joke about men who identify with certain

Parents need to know that Tom Hanks produced and stars in A Man Called Otto, an ultimately life-affirming dramedy that deals frankly with suicidal ideation. Adapted from Fredrik Backman's bestselling book and the Academy Award-nominated 2015 Swedish film A Man Called Ove, it centers on a man named…

Positive Messages

While movie deals with suicidal ideation and suicide attempts, ultimate message is that life has more to offer than we may think -- we just need to hang in there and be open to what it brings us. Cranky people likely have a painful reason behind their rude behavior. Themes of love, loss, compassion, finding family in unexpected places.

Positive Role Models

Marisol, an immigrant and mother, is persistent, caring, unapologetically herself. Neighbors, co-workers, and people Otto comes into contact with are remarkably patient and cheery despite his rude behavior.

Diverse Representations

Positive characters who are diverse in terms of age, gender, race, disability, and economics. Focus on issues related to aging, including forced retirement, loss, and health problems. Title character, director, and writer are all White men, but a Latino family is the heart of the film; the matriarch is a Mexican immigrant (played by Mexican actor Mariana Treviño) who frequently speaks in unsubtitled Spanish. Significant supporting characters with disabilities. Transgender character shares his struggle with family acceptance.

Did we miss something on diversity? Suggest an update.

Violence & Scariness

Several suicide attempts (hanging, carbon monoxide poisoning, shooting, train) that fail in ways that are depicted as humorous; ultimately, the character comes to understand that life has much to offer him, and he has much to offer others. Vehicular accident with bodies strewn about; strong emotional consequences. Hostile but humorous behavior from main character toward small animals. Peril when a person falls onto railroad tracks. Road rage incident: driver pulled out of vehicle.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Sex, Romance & Nudity

A married couple's love story is told from beginning to end in flashbacks. Kissing.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.

Strong language includes "bastard," "crap," "goddamn," "pr--ks," "s--t," "son of a bitch," "suck," and "what the hell." Cranky character calls people "idiots" and calls the neighborhood stray "stupid cat."

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Products & Purchases

Recurring joke about men who identify with certain car brands, so vehicles are highlighted with close-ups on the ornament or logo.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Tom Hanks produced and stars in A Man Called Otto, an ultimately life-affirming dramedy that deals frankly with suicidal ideation. Adapted from Fredrik Backman's bestselling book and the Academy Award-nominated 2015 Swedish film A Man Called Ove , it centers on a man named Otto (Hanks), the epitome of the cranky "get off my lawn" type, who wants to end his life as a matter of efficiency. The movie presents a series of humorously interrupted attempts at his death via suicide (using a rope, asphyxiation, a gun, etc.), all of which lead to the point at which Otto realizes that, while his wife and career are gone, life can still be fulfilling. The movie encourages giving others grace, since you may not be aware of what they're going through. The residents in Otto's housing complex are diverse in terms of age, gender, race, economics, disability, and health, and they're the definition of "neighborly." Otto is counterbalanced by Marisol ( Mariana Treviño ), a positively portrayed Mexican immigrant mother of two who moves in across the street. In addition to Otto's attempts at ending his life, there's a road rage incident. Otto is impatient with others and calls them "idiots," "bastards," and "pr--ks." Other language includes "s--t" and "goddamn." Characters kiss. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails .

Where to Watch

Videos and photos.

Community Reviews

• Parents say (24)
• Kids say (23)

Based on 24 parent reviews

Multiple Realistic and Long-Form Depictions of Suicide

Could be triggering to those with mental illness, what's the story.

Tom Hanks is A MAN CALLED OTTO, the neighborhood crank who has no tolerance for those who don't follow the rules. After retiring and the loss of his wife, Otto feels he has nothing else to live for. But his pesky neighbors keep interrupting his attempts to end his life.

Is It Any Good?

With this remarkably warm and fulfilling film, Hanks and director Marc Forster pull off the impossible: making a family-friendly suicide comedy. Even though the 2015 Swedish original starring Rolf Lassgård was quite successful, after watching A Man Called Otto , it feels impossible to picture anyone else in the starring role. Hanks' grumpy old man trumps all of those who came before him: Clint Eastwood , Walter Matthau , Jack Lemmon , etc. He's so beloved that every rude thing he says is likely to make you laugh, and Forster smartly balances the crankiness by surrounding Otto with warmhearted souls who return his barbs with a knowing look and a smile: Yep, that's Otto! They don't take his mean streak to heart, and it allows viewers to go on the journey and care about him.

While we might understand that Otto "is something special," he's also the dark to the light that is Marisol (Mariana Treviño), the very pregnant woman who moves across the street from Otto. She's a flutter of radiant energy that just refuses to be pushed aside by Otto's hostility. And she's just one strong example of positive diverse representation in the film. The residents in Otto's townhouse complex represent "community" in every sense of the word: They're a family in their own unique way, with residents from all stages and walks of life who look out for each other in good times and bad. While Otto's suicide attempts do make the film too mature for younger children, it's a strong choice for movie night with teens and grandparents.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about how A Man Called Otto plays on viewers' compassion . How can we practice patience for those who exhibit bitter behavior while also not indulging unacceptable treatment?

How does the movie portray depression and suicidal ideation? What should you do if you're worried about a friend or family member? What resources are available to help both kids and adults ? (If you or someone you love is in crisis, you can contact the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by dialing 988.)

Even though Otto is impatient and unkind, did you find yourself rooting for him? What skills does Hanks use to make Otto likable and vulnerable?

Talk about the diversity represented in Otto's neighborhood. Does this accurately reflect real life? Why is positive representation in the media important?

Movie Details

• In theaters : December 30, 2022
• On DVD or streaming : February 28, 2023
• Cast : Tom Hanks , Mariana Treviño , Manuel Garcia-Rulfo
• Director : Marc Forster
• Inclusion Information : Female actors, Latino actors
• Studio : Columbia Pictures
• Genre : Comedy
• Topics : Book Characters
• Character Strengths : Compassion
• Run time : 126 minutes
• MPAA rating : PG-13
• MPAA explanation : mature thematic material involving suicide attempts, and language
• Last updated : November 20, 2023

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

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Movie Reviews

Tv/streaming, collections, great movies, chaz's journal, contributors, a man called otto.

Now streaming on:

In Marc Forster ’s genial, earnest yet unremarkable dramedy “A Man Called Otto,” the titular character Otto can’t pick his daily battles even if his life depended on it. Living in an unfussy suburban neighborhood of identical row houses somewhere in the Midwest, the aging man gets easily annoyed by every little misstep of a stranger. And his protests are so pronounced that they even rival Larry David ’s in an average episode of “Curb Your Enthusiasm.”

Portrayed by the beloved Tom Hanks in an indistinct performance that splits the difference between quirky and grounded, Otto is often right about his grievances, to his credit. Why should he pay for six feet of rope and waste a few extra cents, for instance, when he bought just a little over five? Why shouldn’t he warn inconsiderate drivers who often block garage doors or entitled neighbors who can’t as much as remember to close a gate and respect basic rules about trash disposal? Or pick up a fuss when the soulless real estate guys from the fictional and hilariously named “Dye & Merica” show up to sabotage the community’s peace?

Then again, not everything is as awful as Otto makes them out to be. And he could perhaps afford to have some manners himself, especially when a new, very pregnant neighbor drops by with a bowl of home-cooked meal as a courtesy.

If you’ve already seen 2015’s Oscar-nominated Swedish hit “ A Man Called Ove ” by Hannes Holm , a film that is not any better or worse than this middle-of-the-road American remake (yes, not all originals are automatically superior), you’ll know that Otto hasn’t always been this insufferable. In small doses of syrupy and visually overworked flashbacks, Forster and agile screenwriter David Magee show us that he was socially awkward even from his young days, but at least nice and approachable. With a squarely unstylish side-part haircut that aptly gives out a “nice but unworldly guy” vibe, young Otto (played by the star’s own son, Truman Hanks) had an interest in engineering, in figuring out how things work. His life apparently changed when he accidentally met the dreamy Sonya ( Rachel Keller ), who later on became his wife and passed away recently.

As was the case in “Ove,” Otto can’t wait to join his wife on the other side, but his frequent suicide attempts get interrupted in episodes that are sometimes awkwardly funny, and other times, just plain awkward. The chief interrupters of our get-off-my-lawn guy are the abovementioned new neighbors: the happily married-with-kids couple Marisol (a bubbly and scene-stealing Mariana Treviño , the absolute best thing about the film) and Tommy (Manuel Garcia-Ruflo), who often ask little favors from the grumpy Otto. There are also others in the neighborhood, like a kindly transgender teenager Malcolm (Mack Bayda) thrown out of his house by his dad, the fitness-obsessed Jimmy ( Cameron Britton ), Otto’s old friend Rueben ( Peter Lawson Jones), and his wife Anita (Juanita Jennings), who are no longer on cordial terms with Otto. And let’s not forget a stray cat that no one seems to know what to do with for a while.

The mystery is that none of the supporting personalities in this story can take a hint about Otto, at least not well into the film’s second act. Instead, all the characters collectively treat Otto with patience and acceptance, as if he isn’t being willfully rude to them every chance he gets. For example, it’s anyone’s guess why Otto’s work colleagues bother to throw him a retirement party when it will surely go unappreciated or why Marisol continuously insists on trying to bring out the good side of him when Otto offensively shuts down every one of her genuine attempts.

Still, the story manages to land some charms when Otto finally lets his guard down and starts making all the expected amends, while suffering a rare heart condition on the side. First, he becomes a local hero when he unwittingly saves someone’s life in front of a group of unhelpful people too preoccupied with their phones. Later on, he racks up additional goodwill when he takes Malcolm in and builds a slow yet steady friendship with Marisol, a rewarding storyline in an otherwise predictable tale.

But the biggest win of Forster’s adaptation is its worthwhile message about the small wins of everyday people who operate as a functioning and harmonious community against the evils of faceless corporations. “A Man Called Otto” isn’t exactly as philosophical as “ About Schmidt ” or as socially conscious as “ I, Daniel Blake ,” two films that occasionally hit similar notes. But it’s nevertheless a wholesome crowd-pleaser for your next family gathering.

In limited release now, wide on January 13th.

Tomris Laffly

Tomris Laffly is a freelance film writer and critic based in New York. A member of the New York Film Critics Circle (NYFCC), she regularly contributes to  RogerEbert.com , Variety and Time Out New York, with bylines in Filmmaker Magazine, Film Journal International, Vulture, The Playlist and The Wrap, among other outlets.

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A Man Called Otto (2022)

Rated PG-13

126 minutes

Tom Hanks as Otto Anderson

Mariana Treviño as Marisol

Kailey Hyman as Barb

Rachel Keller

Manuel Garcia-Rulfo

Cameron Britton

Mike Birbiglia

Elle Chapman as Sarah

• Marc Forster
• David Magee
• Matt Chesse

Director of Photography

• Matthias Koenigswieser
• Fredrik Backman

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Catholic Review

Inspiring the Archdiocese of Baltimore

Movie Review: ‘A Man Called Otto’

NEW YORK (OSV News) — The transformation of a grump into a warm and fuzzy character is a trope as old as the Hollywood Hills. So, while the drama-and-comedy blend “A Man Called Otto” (Sony) proves generally goodhearted, it also turns out to be formulaic. Mature discernment is required, moreover, to deal with some of the film’s themes.

Tom Hanks plays the curmudgeonly bereaved widower of the title.Otto’s dissatisfaction with life in general is publicly expressed through his nitpicking insistence on adherence to the petty rules by which his suburban housing development is regulated — and the confrontational manner in which he deals with all those who transgress them.

Thus the term idiot is one of the mainstays of his vocabulary.

In private, meanwhile, Otto’s unresolved grief leads him to take desperate measures to rejoin his beloved wife, Sonya (Rachel Keller). The grim nature of his current existence — and his efforts to end it — are contrasted with warmly nostalgic flashbacks to his and Sonya’s Vietnam War-era romance and early life together.

Otto eventually finds renewed hope after he’s befriended, at first unwillingly, by Marisol (Mariana Treviño) and Tommy (Manuel Garcia-Rulfo), a young Latino couple who’ve just moved in across the street. Sunny, spunky Marisol, in particular, works to dispel Otto’s isolation and gloom — in part by cooking and baking for him.

As he reassesses his grim outlook, Otto also reconsiders his longstanding alienation from another pair of neighbors, Anita (Juanita Jennings) and Ruben (Peter Lawson Jones). They had once been his and Sonya’s best pals but Otto gradually allowed minor irritants to dissolve the relationship.

Director Marc Forster’s screen version of Swedish author Fredrik Backman’s 2012 novel “A Man Called Ove” — previously adapted, in its original language, by Hannes Holm — celebrates kindness, emotional openness and reconciliation. Yet, as scripted by David Magee, this character study is not wholly free of problematic elements.

The screenplay’s treatment of Otto’s continuously futile attempts to kill himself, for instance, is somewhat frivolous since his repeated failures are presented as mildly comic mishaps. And homage is paid to the zeitgeist via Otto’s interaction with Malcolm (Mack Bayda), a downtrodden transexual.

Hanks manages to elevate the hackneyed plotline his character is forced to follow into an arc of some interest. Yet, even with his gift for understated intensity driving the proceedings, there can be little suspense involved in a conversion story whose outcome can be foreseen from the start.

The film contains mature themes, including suicide and gender-switching, a couple of profanities, about a dozen milder oaths, occasional crude language and several crass expressions. The OSV News classification is A-III — adults. The Motion Picture Association rating is PG-13 — parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.

John Mulderig is media reviewer for OSV News.

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‘A Man Called Otto’ Review: Tom Hanks Learns Life Lessons

Going against nice-guy type (at first), the star plays a misanthrope who’s pulled into caring for a neighboring family in need.

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By Glenn Kenny

In 2016, reviewing the film “A Man Called Ove” for this newspaper, I mused: “Sweden’s official entry for a best foreign-language film at the Academy Awards proves that Swedish pictures can be just as sentimental and conventionally heartwarming as Hollywood ones.”

That movie, based on a best-selling Swedish novel, is about a thoroughgoing grump who becomes suicidal after the death of his wife, until interactions with new neighbors soften his heart. One supposes an American remake was inevitable, and here it is, directed by Marc Forster and starring Tom Hanks, with the main character renamed Otto.

Usually U.S. remakes of foreign films tend to homogenize the source material. But “A Man Called Otto” is not only more bloated than the Swedish film, it’s more outré, in a way that’s hard to pin down.

Forster handles the flashback of the back story (in which the star’s son, Truman Hanks, plays a younger Otto) in gauzy-arty fashion. When the older Otto — Hanks reaches back to his excellent work in “Catch Me If You Can” to nail down the man’s overarching irritability — contemplates his happy marriage, his mind always goes back to its earliest times. It’s curious, until the film reveals why it has avoided more recent memories, but by then the omission feels like a withholding cheat.

Otherwise, obviousness rules the day here. When Otto visits an incapacitated former friend, the soundtrack spins Kenny Dorham’s version of the jazz chestnut “Old Folks.” Which is always nice to hear, admittedly. Later, a teenager initially upbraided by Otto tells him that Otto’s wife, who had been a schoolteacher, “was the only person who didn’t treat me like a freak, because I’m transgender.” As the television icon Marcia Brady once put it, “Oh my nose!”

A Man Called Otto Rated PG-13 for themes and language. Running time: 2 hours 6 minutes. In theaters.

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A Man Called Otto Reviews

A Man Called Otto is not a waste of time by any stretch, but it also does not demand your attention in any strong measure.

Full Review | Original Score: C | Feb 28, 2024

I did occasionally find it just a bit too pat and too contrived to melt my more critical lens entirely, but it won me over with its nicely handled comedic touches, lovely performances, and both its clear-eyed positivity and its shamelessly huge heart.

Full Review | Original Score: 3.5/5 | Jul 31, 2023

If not for Tom Hanks, "A Man Called Otto" might be a boring tale of one grumpy man's perseverance against the elements trying to take him down. But it's because of Hanks that the film succeeds.

Full Review | Jul 25, 2023

The drama movie is touching but never truly remarkable.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Jul 25, 2023

Despite having a somewhat interesting start with the presence of Hanks as the unfriendly neighbor, it is a remake that loses the desired dramatic effect by sometimes going down the route of calculated poignancy. [Full review in Spanish]

Full Review | Original Score: 6/10 | May 19, 2023

Tom Hanks was an absolute blast to watch on screen, and his interaction with his co-stars were some of my favorite scenes in the movie. He commanded the screen with his betrayal of Otto.

Full Review | Apr 29, 2023

It proves again, the everyman of the movies, can play any mood or soul. The movie is patient, and a special shoutout to Mariana Trevino for taking a slightly underwritten role and giving it depth.

Full Review | Original Score: B | Apr 27, 2023

Subtle, sincerely redemptive comedic drama...Tom Hanks delivers a carefully modulated, understated performance, as does his 'real-life' son Truman, but the script tends to be overly melodramatic.

Full Review | Original Score: 7/10 | Apr 6, 2023

The director is Marc Forster of Monster's Ball. For sure, his saccharine movie is not hard to like, if only because he is a pro at manipulating heartstrings and Hanks cannot help but be affable, however ill-suited for his role here.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Mar 23, 2023

Tom Hanks gets in touch with his inner Larry David as the curmudgeonly sexegenarian at the heart of Marc Forster’s lukewarm English-language remake of Hannes Holm’s Oscar-nominated “A Man Called Ova.”

Full Review | Original Score: B- | Mar 13, 2023

With Hanks as its star, Marc Forster’s safe Hollywood remake is all the more predictable.

Full Review | Original Score: 2/5 | Mar 2, 2023

A Man Called Otto is mechanically engineered for maximum lachrymosal extraction.

Full Review | Feb 28, 2023

Tom Hanks is trying to channel his inner Clint Eastwood for this US adaptation of Fredrik Bachman’s Swedish best-seller - the problem is, he simply isn’t grouchy enough

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Feb 26, 2023

A film that gets by thanks to Hanks' unwavering watchability though there's not a beat or a revelation we haven't seen before and taking its biggest emotional cue directly from She's Having a Baby is an annoyingly misguided choice.

Full Review | Original Score: 2.5/4 | Feb 16, 2023

This slice of superior schmaltz has Tom Hanks as a fastidious late-middle-aged grump who hates everyone, from overcharging shop assistants to neighbours who put their recycling in the wrong bin.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Feb 15, 2023

Tom Hanks does his best to look mean, but his inherent affability never fails to shine through. Otto discovers to his disgust that there is no avoiding mushiness.

Full Review | Feb 11, 2023

With a terrific supporting cast – Mariana Trevino is the MVP of this journey, and she’s a force of nature as the kind neighbor Marisol. Without her as a counterpart, this would be a difficult, one-note story.

Full Review | Original Score: B+ | Feb 3, 2023

It’s the kind of schmaltzy, big performance studio drama that used to get a billion Oscar nominations, and darn it, I kind of miss those being in vogue.

Full Review | Feb 2, 2023

A sweet story of the power of community to bring someone back from the brink of suicide. A film like this depends on the performances - and here there are some weak links and some standout performances.

Full Review | Original Score: 7/10 | Feb 1, 2023

A predictable tear-jerker made no less enjoyable or heartfelt by its predictability.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 | Jan 31, 2023

A Man Called Otto Review

Tom hanks gets old and cranky in a heart-wrenching tale of loss and aging..

A Man Called Otto hits U.S. theaters on Jan. 13, 2023.

There’s no getting around it; Otto (Tom Hanks) is old. We first meet him at a local DIY store attempting to buy some rope, with hilariously cranky results. Imagine a curmudgeonly, elderly man refusing to get with the times and taking it out on everyone around him. A Man Called Otto is exactly that… at least, at first. But you’ll soon find that it’s actually a film that explores the bleak existence of an elderly man who’s stuck in limbo – a life after life where he’s lost his place in the world. Thankfully, it’s not too long before he finds a new one. While it’s a perfectly heart-wrenching set-up, it doesn’t bring much else to the table, leaning on old tropes and a simple plot to tell a just-okay story about Hanks’ old grouch.

When the Mendes family moves in across the street, Marisol (Mariana Treviño), her husband Tommy (Manuel Garcia-Rulfo), and their two daughters throw Otto’s life into disarray. They’re the annoyingly perky neighbors who always want to borrow a wrench or need help with a window. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to work out what happens next, as director Marc Forster uses just about every cliché in the book to hammer home Otto’s changing outlook on life.

But let’s back up for a moment. In between tubs of cookies and requests for babysitting, we learn that Otto is desperately sad. He lost his wife, Sonya (Rachel Keller), less than a year ago, and he’s a shadow of the man he once was, who we learn about through a liberal helping of flashbacks. In some ways, it’s easy to compare A Man Called Otto to one of Hanks’ more famous films – it’s basically the anti-Forrest Gump.

Otto is definitely on the opposite end of the happiness spectrum, but it’s more than that. A Man Called Otto highlights all the greatest hits of Otto’s life, but it starts at the opposite end of a life lived. Through flashbacks, we learn why Otto is the way he is, as well as find out more about the love of his life… and exactly why she meant so much to him.

What's Tom Hanks' best movie?

The trouble is, there’s just nothing truly unique going on here. That’s not to say A Man Called Otto isn’t a decent enough film – it tugs at the heartstrings in all the right places, and you’ll be hard-pressed to walk out of the theater with dry eyes by the end. But it’s not exactly full of twists and turns; quite the opposite. The final act is telegraphed from a million miles away, and it all feels perhaps a bit too familiar.

Based on the New York Times best-seller, A Man Called Otto does everything you expect… but little else. Forster does his best to inject some life into proceedings in the form of some curiously eccentric neighbors. Unfortunately, the rather twee elements of finding a new family and the excruciatingly labored metaphors laced liberally throughout distract from any originality you might find. There are even scenes of the literal changing of the seasons, to add to some of the not-so-subtle metaphors. Yeah.

Thankfully, Hanks is in typically good form as Otto, lending an air of gravitas to what could be a startlingly pedestrian role. Instead, Hanks walks a fine line between loveable grouch and eccentric geriatric, with plenty of his trademark heart thrown in for good measure. A debut performance from his son, Truman Hanks, is less impressive. Not that there’s anything wrong with his acting, but Truman suffers from having little to work with – much of his role revolves around cooing over the love of young Otto’s life, making doe-eyes at the pretty girl and following her, unerringly, wherever she may go. Not exactly an actor’s wildest dream.

Still, he proves himself to be adequate, at least… and with some stirring performances from Otto’s neighbors, the cast carries this decidedly unremarkable story on its capable shoulders. Throw in some truly funny moments in its unexpectedly witty script, and there’s just enough to make the film worth watching.

The Best Movie of 2022

A Man Called Otto is ultimately a formulaic comedy-drama that leans far too much on tried and tested cliches. A charismatic central performance from Hanks elevates the movie, albeit slightly, with standout performances from Mariana Treviño and Cameron Britton. A tight script punctuates Otto’s misery with some truly memorable comic moments, and Forster wrangles the potentially miserable tale into something far more uplifting. A Man Called Otto is often gut-wrenching and sometimes even charming, but it just fails to bring much new to the table. If you can enjoy it for what it is, you’ll be rewarded with a sweet tale of an old man losing his place in the world only to find an entirely new one.

A Man Called Otto is a benign comedy-drama that peppers a heart-wrenching story with plenty of eye-rolling jokes to distract you from its perfectly pedestrian plot. A tear-jerking performance from Tom Hanks shows a certain subtlety you won’t find in its storyline, while Hanks’ son Truman fills in the gaps with some adequate flashbacks in a reverse-Forrest Gump. You’ll struggle to escape from the theater with dry eyes, but director Marc Forster leans on familiar tropes and cliches to amp up the feels – and it might not work on everyone. A Man Called Otto is good enough to pass a quiet holiday weekend, but it fails to bring much else to the table.

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Review: Tom Hanks gives ‘A Man Called Otto’ an easygoing sincerity

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It says something about the current state of studio filmmaking in Hollywood that all the things that make “A Man Called Otto” stand out are things that really should make it commonplace. The film is made with a level of craft and simple competence that has become shockingly rare. A genuine movie star is allowed to radiate charisma and charm, and all the performances have character nuance and emotional depth.

These should be the basic building blocks of Hollywood moviemaking and yet here we are, with “A Man Called Otto” feeling special for being a winsome dramedy with some effective moments of tearjerking tenderness. It’s not so much a matter of they don’t make them like this anymore as they should be making them like this all the time.

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Directed by Marc Forster, the film is based on the 2012 novel “A Man Called Ove” by Fredrik Backman, which became an international bestseller and previously was adapted into a 2016 Swedish film that earned two Oscar nominations. From a screenplay by David Magee, who this year also wrote the adapted screenplays for “Lady Chatterley’s Lover” and “The School for Good and Evil,” the new film finds enough ways to update the core material to keep it fresh.

As the film opens, Otto (Tom Hanks) is buying a few bits and pieces at a hardware store and then gets into an argument with a clerk about whether he is being overcharged by a few cents for a length of rope. Once he is back at his modest, meticulously kept row house, it is revealed that Otto plans to kill himself, but life keeps getting in the way.

There are his new neighbors, Marisol and Tommy (Mariana Treviño and Manuel Garcia-Rulfo), a young couple with two small children and expecting another. The trans kid who delivers the newspapers was a student of Otto’s deceased wife, a teacher. Otto also finds himself reconnecting with a pair of longtime neighbors with whom he had a falling-out. Even a self-styled “social media journalist” won’t leave him alone after Otto, who had intended to throw himself onto the tracks, saves a man from being struck by a train.

Otto seems at first to be a rigid, stuck-in-his-ways old man similar to the type Clint Eastwood has played recently in films such as “Gran Torino,” “The Mule” and “Cry Macho,” men who must learn to overcome their prejudices. Otto, largely because of circumstances revealed around his late wife (played in flashbacks by Rachel Keller), is more readily open-minded and open-hearted than those Eastwood characters. He is nevertheless endlessly aggravated by others for a perceived lack of knowledge or abilities.

The film is an odd companion to Hanks’ recent, more willfully weird turn as Colonel Tom Parker in “Elvis,” which found him working against an accent and prosthetics and a fanciful villainous characterization. His role in “Otto” plays to Hanks’ more obvious strengths, his essential affability even when he is presenting a gruff, unyielding exterior. The sweet heart of the character is never too far below the surface.

“A Man Called Otto” is also something of a family affair, with Rita Wilson, Hanks’ wife, as one of the producers and co-writing and performing the song “Til You’re Home.” In flashback scenes, young Otto is played by one of Hanks’ and Wilson’s children, Truman Hanks. And in one of the film’s slyer jokes, the hip-hop song “White Boy Summer” by their son Chet Hanks is used to personify a certain kind of clueless obliviousness in others.

The real standout in the supporting cast is Treviño, a comedy star in her native Mexico who brings real energy and feeling to her role as one of Otto’s new neighbors. She barges into Otto’s orderly life and brings a bit of chaos with her, inserting a much-needed liveliness into the movie as well. Mike Birbiglia is also well cast playing against type as a sleazy real estate developer.

It is not meant as faint praise to say that “A Man Called Otto” is nice. The film has an easygoing, please-like-me quality that somehow never comes off as desperate but instead gives it a reassuring quality, like a mug of warm tea. It’s borderline corny, but sometimes corny can mean unselfconscious, willing to be unguarded in its sincerity. The tender message of hopefulness and spiritual renewal is a welcome tonic as the year comes to a close.

'A Man Called Otto'

Rated: PG-13 for mature thematic material involving suicide attempts, and language. Running time: 2 hours, 6 minutes Playing: Starts Dec. 30, AMC the Grove, Los Angeles; AMC Century City

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‘A Man Called Otto’ Review: Tom Hanks Plays a Florid Grump

Hanks is well-cast as a misanthropic loner, but the film lacks the courage of his caustic conviction.

By Owen Gleiberman

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Hanks harumphs with an irresistible self-justifying logic, and the clueless response on the part of the store’s millennial clerks, who are doing all they can to accommodate his tantrum, is the icing on the high-dudgeon cake. The secret weapon of a scene like this one is that even though Otto is overreacting like a jerk, in his petty and snappish way he’s sort of right. It should bother people, a little bit, that a corporation designs it so you can’t just buy five feet of rope.  

But David Magee, who wrote the script of “A Man Called Otto” (inspired by the 2015 Swedish film “A Man Called Ove”), and Marc Forster, who directed it, don’t have anything that witty in mind. The film starts off rooted in the real world but turns into a soft-headed “redemptive” fairy tale. Everything gets turned up a notch; even the potentially uproarious scene of Otto dishing out abuse to a hospital clown withers in the clown’s telegraphed overreaction. The movie is trying so hard to be a crowd-pleaser, in its reach-for-the-synthetic, sitcom-meets-Hallmark heart, that it will likely end up pleasing very few. It’s the definition of a movie that Tom Hanks deserved better than.      

Otto, in case you were wondering, plans to use that five feet of rope to kill himself. He’s still reeling from the recent death of his wife, and he intends to hang himself in his living room (from a hole he punches into the ceiling — a doomed plan or what?). I’ve never been crazy about botched-suicide comedy, going back to the prelude sequence of “Harold and Maude” (sorry, not a fan of that calculated cult ’70s quirkfest). The reason isn’t that I think it’s so scandalous but that it’s actually, under the surface, quite sentimental. The joke is always the same: that the suicides fail because the person… really wants to live . In this case, the idea that Hanks’ Otto has given up on life is a conceit the audience scarcely pretends to buy.

Otto occupies a condo in the same soothing blue prefab row-house development he has lived in ever since he married Sonya (Rachel Keller), the true love he first spotted on a Philadelphia train platform — she dropped her book! He picked it up and ran after her! All the way to the other side of the platform! — when he was a young man.

The film is threaded with flashbacks to their relationship, and they’re built on the potentially effective stunt casting of Truman Hanks, Hanks’s 27-year-old son, as the younger Otto, who came to Philly to enlist in the military, which turned into a doomed mission. Hanks’ acerbic actor son Colin has often seemed a chip off the old block, but Truman Hanks comes off as notably sweeter, softer, and more benign than his dad. In almost any movie you’d have to squint to buy him as the young Tom Hanks, but in this movie, where we have to believe that this angelic nerd evolves into a sharp-tongued malcontent, it’s far too jarring a leap.

In case all those don’t get to you, the movie makes a point of throwing in a transgender former student of Sonya’s, who’s there to demonstrate that Otto may grouse at the world but that he sees it entirely without prejudice. He’s a hater with a heart of gold. “A Man Called Otto” wants to lift our spirits, but the trouble with it is that the nicer Otto gets, the more naggingly fake the movie becomes. It should have been called “Florid-est Grump.”

Reviewed at AMC Lincoln Square, Dec. 16, 2022. MPAA Rating: PG-13. Running time: 126 MIN.

• Production: A Sony Pictures Entertainment release of a Columbia Pictures, Stage 6 Films, SF Productions, Play-Tone production. Producers: Fredrik Wikström Nicastro, Rita Wilson, Tom Hanks, Gary Goetzman. Executive producers: Marc Forster, Renée Wolfe, Louise Rosner, David Magee, Michael Porseryd, Tim King, Sudie Smyth, Steven Shareshian, Celia Costas, Neda Backman, Tor Jonasson.
• Crew: Director: Marc Forster. Screenplay: David Magee. Camera: Mathuas Koenigswieser. Editor: Matt Chessé. Music: Thomas Newman.
• With: Tom Hanks, Mariana Treviño, Rachel Keller, Truman Hanks, Mike Birbiglia, Manuel Garcia-Rulfo.  

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A Man Called Otto

Otto is a grump who's given up on life following the loss of his wife and wants to end it all. When a young family moves in nearby, he meets his match in quick-witted Marisol, leading to a f... Read all Otto is a grump who's given up on life following the loss of his wife and wants to end it all. When a young family moves in nearby, he meets his match in quick-witted Marisol, leading to a friendship that will turn his world around. Otto is a grump who's given up on life following the loss of his wife and wants to end it all. When a young family moves in nearby, he meets his match in quick-witted Marisol, leading to a friendship that will turn his world around.

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• 51 Metascore
• 1 win & 8 nominations

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• Trivia The young Otto is played by Truman Hanks , Tom's son, who was 26 years old during principal photography.
• Goofs When Otto is at the train station you see a line of trains parked outside. They are yellow. These rail cars are modern safecar automobile trains and didn't exist at the time the movie was set in. Most automotive carriers at the time were flat beds or side load.

Otto Anderson : [to Marisol] You have given birth to two children. Soon it will be three. You have come here from a country very far away. You learned a new language, you got yourself an education and a nitwit husband and you are holding that family together. You will have no problem learning how to drive. My god, the world is full of complete idiots who have managed to figure it out, and you are not a complete idiot. So, cluch, shift, gas, drive.

• Connections Featured in The Graham Norton Show: Tom Hanks/Naomi Ackie/Suranne Jones/Richard Osman/Rina Sawayama (2022)
• Soundtracks This Woman's Work Written and Performed by Kate Bush Courtesy of Noble & Brite Ltd

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• Otto: Bác Hàng Xóm Khó Ở
• Central Union Terminal, Toledo, Ohio, USA (Train Station)
• Artistic Films
• Big Indie Pictures
• See more company credits at IMDbPro
• $50,000,000 (estimated)
• $64,267,657
• Jan 1, 2023
• $113,190,218

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• Runtime 2 hours 6 minutes
• Dolby Digital

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‘a man called otto’ review: tom hanks in a predictable but touching portrait of grief and resilience.

The Oscar winner plays the title role in this remake of the hit Swedish film about a curmudgeonly widower learning to embrace life again.

By Frank Scheck

Frank Scheck

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Set in an unnamed Rust Belt town that has clearly seen better days (the movie was filmed in Pittsburgh), this American version directed by Marc Forster ( Finding Neverland ) closely follows its Swedish predecessor in most regards. Otto, who has recently been pushed out of his engineering managerial job, mainly spends his time scowling and grunting at anyone who has the temerity to cross his path and enforcing the rules of his gated neighborhood, which is controlled by the sort of real-estate company whose smarmy representative ( Mike Birbiglia , in a role making little use of his comic talents) would have made a suitable villain in a Frank Capra movie.  

His humanity only emerges during his regular visits to her grave, where he makes it clear that he intends to join her soon. It’s also revealed in a series of flashbacks to his younger days, in which the young Otto (Truman Hanks, Tom’s son, bearing an uncanny resemblance to his old man) has a meet-cute with Sonya (Rachel Keller, suitably endearing) when he boards a train going in the wrong direction in order to return a book she’s dropped. We see the couple moving into the home where the middle-aged Otto still lives and making friends with their neighbors, and then Sonya getting pregnant and tragically losing the baby in a bus accident that results in her being confined to a wheelchair.

The storyline’s less convincing elements include Otto becoming a social media sensation after he’s filmed rescuing an elderly man who’s fallen onto train tracks. That allows him to exploit his newfound fame when the real estate company attempts to evict his longtime neighbors after they experience major health issues. It’s the sort of melodramatic plot contrivance that feels wholly unnecessary, as if screenwriter David Magee didn’t trust that the story of a grief-stricken man regaining his will to live would carry enough emotional weight.

But it’s hard to mind too much, thanks to Hanks’ perfectly modulated, understated performance — he’s truly moving when you feel Otto’s frost slowly starting to thaw — and the welcome comic moments that alleviate the film’s more heavy-handed aspects. There’s a particularly wonderful moment when Otto winds up in the hospital after collapsing in the street and Marisol is gravely informed that his heart is “too big.” Instead of registering alarm, she collapses into hysterical laughter, with Otto having the grace to fully get the joke.

Although A Man Called Otto never fully rises above its obvious plot machinations, director Forster thankfully applies a fairly restrained, subtle approach. The result is a film to which you ultimately find yourself succumbing even though you never stop being aware that your heartstrings are being shamelessly pulled.

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A Man Called Otto review – Tom Hanks goes grumpy in remake of quirky Swedish yarn

Neither the comedy nor the inherently lovable Hanks are dark enough to bring this remake of an odd redemption story to life

S even years ago, a frankly peculiar, quirky dramedy-heartwarmer from Sweden appeared: A Man Called Ove , based on the bestselling novel by Fredrik Backman. It was about a grumpy old widower who snaps at everyone on his street – officiously enforcing the Neighbourhood-Watch-type rules about parking and recycling – and keeps on trying to take his own life. These attempts are continually thwarted when he spots some local outside his house breaking some bylaw and Ove can’t resist rushing out to remonstrate. But a nerdy, sweet-natured young couple move in next door and insist on befriending Ove, and their artless friendship relieves Ove’s repressed sadness and affords him redemption. Ove was played in the original by Rolf Lassgård (Wallander on Swedish TV) and now by Tom Hanks – renamed Otto – in this Hollywood remake from screenwriter David Magee and director Marc Forster. The goofy-friendly new neighbours are played by Mariana Treviño and Manuel Garcia-Rulfo.

Hanks’s performance amplifies and colourises the original curmudgeon, and his star-quality soups up the drama and makes a clearer sense of the backstory, yet the very fact of it being Hanks means that we never for a moment believe that he really is going to be that nasty (or that unhappy) for long. Soon, the lovable Hanks will surely reappear, and it duly does as the sad story of his late wife emerges in sucrose flashback – although she is always a bland cipher, not a convincing person. Finally, of course, Otto is going to be absolutely adorable. With his fierce short haircut and blank, open face he looks very familiar. Not grump, but Gump.

But just as with the original, the real problems come with those wacky unsuccessful attempts to kill himself; they represent the same jarring and baffling tonal misjudgment. Newspapers are very restricted about what they can describe on this subject; not so the cinema, which is (rightly) afforded artistic freedom. But the scenes with Hanks buying the means from a hardware store, arguing about the change with the manager, then unhilariously having to abandon his plan in order to tell someone off … it’s not serious enough to do justice to the subject, not dark enough for scabrous black comedy, or funny enough for comedy of any sort, being weirdly sentimental from the outset.

Otherwise, the movie follows the form of the original pretty faithfully, although the gay teenage boy that Ove helps in the first film is now trans. Hanks carries the film with his personality and his easy address to the camera, but this oddity of a film never quite comes to life.

A Man Called Otto is released on 25 December in the US, on 1 January in Australia and on 6 January in the UK.

• Comedy films
• Drama films
• Marc Forster
• Film adaptations

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Tom Hanks Plays It Grumpy in New Drama ‘A Man Called Otto’

Adapted from a Swedish book that has already been turned into a movie, the new film searches for emotion and sometimes delivers, with a strong supporting cast.

Tom Hanks stars as Otto in Columbia Pictures 'A Man Called Otto.' Photo by: Niko Tavernise.

Opening for an awards qualification run in theaters on December 25th before releasing wider on January 13th, ‘ A Man Called Otto ’ finds Tom Hanks in a grumpy mood as a man who just wants to be left alone.

The big question that ‘A Man Called Otto’ seeks to answer, at least on one level is: do audiences want to see Tom Hanks be grumpy? He’s certainly deviated from his friendly everyman persona in the past––movies such as ‘ Philadelphia ’, ‘ Saving Private Ryan ’ and particularly his gangster turn in ‘ Road to Perdition ’ have pushed the boundaries of Hanks on screen.

But we’re more used to seeing a charming, often jovial Hanks on screen, and we’re certainly not used to watching him contemplate, and then attempt suicide.

‘A Man Called Otto’ looks to challenge all that, taking as its inspiration the book published in 2012 by Fredrik Backman. The novel, which followed the titular curmudgeon, a man with high principles, a short fuse, and a reputation as a neighbor from hell, became a big hit for its emotional storytelling and take on life.

It was, somewhat usurpingly, leapt on as a potential movie, writer/director Hannes Holm bringing it to screens in 2015. The film was itself a success and because this is the way of things, quickly hit Hollywood’s radar.

(L to R) Director Marc Forster, left, and Tom Hanks on the set of Columbia Pictures 'A Man Called Otto.' Photo by: Niko Tavernise.

Now here comes the American version, adapted this time by the ‘ Finding Neverland ’ combination of director Mark Forster and writer David Magee. Some elements have been altered––a couple of story points we won’t get into here to avoid spoilers and the setting was switched to Pittsburgh.

Hanks plays Otto, who shares a near identical persona with his Swedish counterpart––he’s known for being grumpy, refusing to suffer fools gladly (he views almost everyone around him as a fool) and he’s always pointing out problems in the complex where he lives. Pet owners who allow their dogs to soil his driveway are a primary nemesis, and he’s constantly checking to see if parking permits are properly displayed from the rearview mirrors of cars. Woe betides anyone who leaves the gate to the street open.

As is revealed relatively quickly, Otto isn’t simply grumpy for its own sake. While, as a younger man he was relatively serious (and played to winning effect by Hanks’ son Truman ) though more cheerful, a chance encounter with his future wife (played in flashback by Rachel Keller ) lit up his life. Her death from cancer has, likewise, shut him right back down, and tipped him even further into Grinch-like status.

Otto has retreated into himself––friendships in the neighborhood soured and he became increasingly bitter. So much so that he’s seen looking to end it all, first setting up a noose in his dining room and then running a pipe from his car exhaust into the vehicle itself and running it in the garage.

(L to R) Mariana Treviño and Tom Hanks star in Columbia Pictures 'A Man Called Otto.' Photo by: Dennis Mong.

Both times, he is interrupted by a new neighbor, a family ostensibly led by Tony (played by Manuel Garcia-Rulfo ), but with the brains of the outfit resting mostly in his wife, Marisol ( Mariana Treviño , offering the sort of scene-stealing performance that makes you want to seek out her other work). The young family––they have two daughters––has freshly arrived in the street, and Marisol seems undaunted by Otto’s gruff, dismissive attitude.

Bulldozing her way into his life through food and asking for the occasional favor, Marisol manages to break through the hard outer surface of Otto’s outlook and discover his broken heart. He’s soon helping her learn to drive and even agreeing to babysit.

The friendship is the typically movie unlikely one, but in the hands of an old pro such as Hanks and a superb actor such as Treviño, it becomes the backbone of the movie, smoothing over concerns about cliché and digging into hoary old truisms.

Forster and Magee walk an uneasy line, aiming to show the benefit of getting to know people rather than assuming everyone is an idiot, but stopping short of dipping too far into the saccharine side of the narrative, except on occasion.

(L to R) Otto (Tom Hanks) is loathe to react to the picture Marisol's (Mariana Treviño) kids drew in Columbia Pictures 'A Man Called Otto.'

A lot works about the movie, even beyond Hanks and Treviño, and a smattering of supporting roles help breathe life into this world. Even the subplot in which Otto adopts a stray cat (or rather, the cat adopts him), which could have been toe-curlingly obvious and cloying, manages to succeed, partly because the cat is worthy of awards attention by himself.

Other plots, the resolution of which you can see coming several hundred miles away, are less effective, but don’t dimmish the emotional aspect too much. Forster and Magee stumble occasionally, over-egging scenes such as Otto’s encounter with a clown he meets at a hospital while caring for Marisol’s kids as she visits her accident-prone husband. The moment, which is ripe with comic potential, is somewhat ruined by you seeing the encounter, rather than simply hearing about it. Sometimes less truly is more.

Yet like Marisol, the film will eventually start to creep into your good graces and might even warm your heart a little, assuming it isn’t already an icicle. It’s certainly not going to move the needle in terms of justifying why another version needed to be made, but it certainly pleads its case.

And at the very least, it’s proof that the Hanks/ Rita Wilson performing gene runs strong, with Truman (who had no real aspiration to act, preferring to learn his craft as a camera operator and cinematographer) channeling his father with heart. Good to know there’s another Hanks actor in the family besides Tom and Colin . Sorry Chet, maybe you can play young Tom somewhere else?

‘A Man Called Otto receives 3.5 out of 5 stars.

A Man Called Otto

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What Critics Are Saying About ‘A Man Called Otto’

BY Michael Schaub • Dec. 29, 2022

Reviews are pouring in for A Man Called Otto , the new film based on Fredrik Backman’s bestselling novel A Man Called Ove .

Ove’s book, published in the U.S. by Atria in 2014, follows a grumpy widower whose life is changed by a young couple that moves next door. It was adapted into a Swedish movie in 2015; the new adaptation stars Tom Hanks and Mariana Treviño, and was directed by Marc Forster.

Robert Abele of The Wrap also wasn’t impressed with the film. “Forster’s haphazard direction is so checked-out it’s painful,” the critic wrote . “[H]is comedy mise-en-scène and timing in even the simplest moments of humor is flat.”

Mark Olsen of the Los Angeles Times liked the movie, though, writing , “The film has an easygoing, please-like-me quality that somehow never comes off as desperate but instead gives it a reassuring quality, like a mug of warm tea.…The tender message of hopefulness and spiritual renewal is a welcome tonic as the year comes to a close.”

And at the Hollywood Reporter , critic Frank Scheck wrote , “[D]irector Forster thankfully applies a fairly restrained, subtle approach. The result is a film to which you ultimately find yourself succumbing even though you never stop being aware that your heartstrings are being shamelessly pulled.”

A Man Called Otto opened in a limited release on Friday; it will be released nationwide on Jan. 13, 2023.

Michael Schaub, a journalist and regular contributor to NPR, lives near Austin, Texas.

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• DVD & Streaming

A Man Called Otto

• Comedy , Drama

Content Caution

In Theaters

• January 6, 2023
• Tom Hanks as Otto Anderson; Mariana Treviño as Marisol; Manuel Garcia-Rulfo as Tommy; Cameron Britton as Jimmy; Mack Bayda as Malcolm; Rachel Keller as Sonya; Juanita Jennings as Anita; Peter Lawson Jones as Reuben; Truman Hanks as Young Otto Anderson; Kailey Hyman as Barb; Max Pavel as Andy; Christiana Montoya as Luna; Alessandra Perez as Abbie; Greg Allan Martin as Lucas; Kelly Lamor Wilson as Shari Kenzie

Home Release Date

• February 28, 2023
• Marc Forster

Distributor

• Columbia Pictures

Movie Review

“ Idiots ,” Otto grumbles with every step he takes.

He makes his rounds through the neighborhood, grumbling at every mistake people around him make. How hard is it to put your parking pass on the rearview mirror, close the neighborhood gate or put your bike in the bike rack? He grouses.

As far as he’s concerned, the America that Otto knew is dying. No one knows how to fix anything anymore. A predatory real estate agent looks for ways to buy the neighborhood properties out from under people. And take just yesterday, when Otto tried to buy five feet of rope, and they told him he would still need to pay for six feet—because it’s policy to only charge by the yard.

All of the problems of the world are only accentuated by the passing of Otto’s wife, Sonya, six months before. If Otto were to think about it, she was the real reason why the world was so great. She gave Otto’s world color. Now that she’s gone, the whole world’s gone greyscale.

But today, that’s all going to change. Because using that purchased rope to craft a noose, Otto’s going to rejoin his wife. He steps up on his coffee table and prepares to slip his head through the hole.

Just then, Otto is interrupted by the sound of new neighbors Tommy and Marisol, backing their U-Haul over the curb and into their property. Apparently, no one knows how to parallel park with a trailer anymore.

Idiots . Otto can’t stand it. He slips the noose off his head and goes over to teach these neighbors how to do it properly. He can always get back to his suicidal plans later—if only these amicable and caring neighbors would stop appearing so frequently in his life.

Positive Elements

Otto longs for better days—days when Sonya was alive, people knew how to fix things, and everything was a bit simpler. Otto says of his deceased wife, there’s “nothing before or after” her.

But Otto’s fixation on the things of the past is an idol in his heart, and it’s dragging the elderly man down into a bitter depression. As the story unfolds, we’re warned about how making anything an idol in our lives can quickly ruin us.

Though Otto’s love for Sonya reminds us of the value of marriage, his idolization of his wife has made her a crutch for the aging man; when she passes, Otto must learn how to walk on his own once again. He hangs onto those former days, refusing to get rid of his wife’s coats, which still hang on the coat rack. But when young Marisol discovers Otto’s pain, she gently shows him how moving on is good for him, and how it won’t disrespect Sonya’s memory to do so.

Otto learns another important lesson: You can’t do everything alone. Though Otto thinks the world is nothing but “idiots,” Marisol shows him how it’s OK to get help from others—even if you may need to teach them a thing or two before they can help.

And as for Marisol and Tommy (as well as a couple other neighbors), they put up with Otto’s many bitter remarks in order to befriend him. Otto, for his part, does help his neighbors when asked, even if he isn’t the friendliest about it (though he would disagree—he was being friendly, he insists).

Spiritual Elements

Otto often speaks with Sonya at her grave, telling her of how he plans to meet her again soon.

[ Spoiler Warning ] During one of Otto’s suicide attempts, the ghost of his wife speaks to him, discouraging him from taking his life. Later, Otto eventually does pass away (from natural causes), and a minster leads his funeral service.

Sexual Content

A prominent character named Malcolm is transgender. Malcolm’s father kicks him out for identifying in that way. Otto exclaims that anyone who disagrees with transgender ideology is “an idiot.”

A man wearing tight, revealing pants stretches, causing Otto to ask the man’s girlfriend if she can tell him to “stop stretching his groin in public.” A young Otto and Sonya kiss a couple times. Marisol and Tommy kiss, too.

Violent Content

There’s no getting around the central premise of the film: an elderly man who wants to kill himself to reunite with his wife in the afterlife. Otto’s initial attempt is followed by three more.

Otto hangs himself, but the hook snaps, causing him to collapse to the floor. He tries to take his life via carbon monoxide poisoning, but his neighbor interrupts him. He also stands in front of an oncoming train, but he is once again saved. Otto finally tries to shoot himself with a shotgun, but he is distracted, and the bullet instead fires into the ceiling.

Otto is quick to confront a couple people with violence. He assaults a hospital clown for not returning a personal memento. He also yanks someone from his truck after the man impatiently honks at him. And when a store employee asks if Otto needs help cutting rope, Otto asks if the employee is afraid that Otto may accidentally cut himself and bleed in the store.

A bus crashes, paralyzing a woman and causing a miscarriage. A man has a heart attack. A woman throws rocks at a stray cat.

Crude or Profane Language

The s-word is used four times. We also hear about a half-dozen instances each of “h—,” “b–tard” and “crap.” There are a couple uses of “b–ch,” “d–n,” “p-ss” and “pr-ck.” God’s name is used in vain 19 times, and two of those times are paired with “d–n.” And, of course, Otto calls pretty much everyone an “idiot.”

Drug and Alcohol Content

Otto brings a bottle of liquor to reconnect with a friend. The two never get around to opening it.

Other Negative Elements

People film an elderly man who has fallen onto train tracks rather than helping him. Otto says a woman is “full of garbage.” A real estate agency gets illegal access to medical records in an effort to push elderly people out of their homes. A baby defecates. Otto is quite rude in most encounters.

It’s tough to move on from the loss of a loved one. Instead, Otto figures the easiest thing he can do is just to end his life and join his wife in the afterlife. But when friendly and insistent neighbors insist on growing closer to him, Otto’s sour opinion of life slowly begins to soften.

This film is remake of the 2015 Swedish film A Man Called Ove , which itself is based on Fredrik Backman’s 2012 novel of the same name. Throughout the movie, Tom Hanks’ Otto expresses his disgust at all the people who are ruining the world—namely, those who don’t know or care enough about how to fix things or follow rules.

And, if we’re being honest, there are a few things we’d wish A Man Called Otto would fix, too. For starters, the movie centers around a man attempting to commit suicide in a few different ways. In fact, even though this difficult subject is treated in a darkly humorous way, the film’s repeated depiction of it could still be potentially problematic for anyone who’s wrestled with this issue personally. On top of that, the movie also features quite a bit of crude language, and a prominent character is transgender.

Those content issues are deeply frustrating, because the film does provide a nice message regarding community and seeking help amid grief. But those redemptive themes come off a bit dull and muddled when clouded by the film’s bigger concerns.

Kennedy Unthank

Kennedy Unthank studied journalism at the University of Missouri. He knew he wanted to write for a living when he won a contest for “best fantasy story” while in the 4th grade. What he didn’t know at the time, however, was that he was the only person to submit a story. Regardless, the seed was planted. Kennedy collects and plays board games in his free time, and he loves to talk about biblical apologetics. He thinks the ending of Lost “wasn’t that bad.”

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Man Called Otto, A (United States, 2022)

I’ve long since given up asking the question “Why?” when it comes to filmmakers turning to foreign language films for the storylines of new English-language films. Sometimes, in fact, the results can be quite satisfactory – take the 2022 reworking of Ikiru into Living – but most are simply mediocre or subpar retreads. In the case of A Man Called Otto , which owes its existence to Hannes Holm’s 2015 feature, A Man Called Ove (which, in turn, was based on the 2012 novel by Fredrik Backman), the results are admirable enough to justify the movie’s existence. Although the level of manipulation is several notches higher than in the Swedish original, A Man Called Otto boasts fine performances from Tom Hanks and Mariana Trevino and offers the kind of crowd-pleasing arc that runs counter to the prevalent mood of worldwide cynicism.

For Otto , the location has been shifted to the Pittsburgh suburbs. That’s where the title character (played by Tom Hanks) lives. A recent widower, Otto has turned into the town curmudgeon, fulfilling the “get off my lawn” stereotype to a “T.”   At first, Otto seems to be just a generic disgruntled old man but, as we learn his backstory through flashbacks (in which Otto is played by Hanks’ son, Truman), he has been crushed by grief following the death of his beloved wife, Sonya (Rachel Keller). He’s in the process of getting his life in order so he can commit suicide when his preparations are interrupted by the arrival of new neighbors: a mother, father, and two girls. Although Otto would prefer to be left on his own, the pregnant woman, Marisol (Mariana Trevino), ignores his unfriendly attitude and refuses to allow him his isolation. After several failed attempt to kill himself, Otto begins to acknowledge that he might still have a purpose, even if it’s just to care for the stray cat who has adopted him as its human.

Parts of the screenplay are too facile and there’s a subplot involving a greedy real estate development corporation that is underwritten and not remotely believable. (The stuff about the “Social Media Investigation,” newly added to the remake, isn’t one of the better additions.) But the things that work in A Man Called Otto outweigh those that don’t and Hanks’ performance – probably his best since News of the World (which featured a not-dissimilar character) – is the glue that holds everything together. As 2022 remakes go, this one falls considerably short of the surprisingly high bar set by Living but it’s a heartwarming tale for the coldest part of the year.

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