A Man Called Otto ★★★☆☆
Grumpiest man alive or simply the hero we didn’t ask for?
In A Man Called Otto, Tom Hanks plays a cantankerous widower whose hobby appears to be making others as miserable as he is. Think Up’s Carl Fredricksen, but with less balloon magic and more botched suicide attempts—yes, you read that right. The movie walks an odd tightrope between tragedy and comedy, often tripping over its own tone. This isn’t a film about a man gently grieving; it’s a two-hour reminder that sometimes life’s biggest joke is simply surviving the people around you.
Otto Anderson (Tom Hanks) is a man who takes pleasure in enforcing rules and scowling at his neighbors in a sleepy suburban community. Recently retired, and with his wife Sonya gone, Otto feels his life’s meaning has all but evaporated. Cue multiple suicide attempts, all interrupted by the neighborhood’s new residents, particularly Marisol (Mariana Treviño), a warm, tenacious woman who makes it her personal mission to melt Otto’s frosty exterior. Despite his best efforts to push everyone away, the slow but inevitable intrusion of his neighbors brings Otto back into the world of the living—whether he likes it or not.
At its core, A Man Called Otto explores grief, loneliness, and the unexpectedly redemptive power of community. Otto’s internal struggle is clear—how does one keep living when the only person who made life worthwhile is gone? His irritability is really just grief in grumpy disguise. The film’s commentary on aging and the isolation it can bring is surprisingly poignant, though the frequent attempts at dark comedy can make it feel like two different movies stitched together. The deeper moments, like Otto’s unspoken bond with a transgender neighbor, Malcolm, reveal a man whose crotchety exterior hides a soft heart, even if the film tends to hammer that home with more force than necessary.
Marc Forster, who’s better known for helming action-heavy fare like World War Z, takes a slower, quieter approach here. The setting—a bland, overly tidy suburb—is a perfect reflection of Otto’s rigid, controlled life. There’s nothing remarkable about the visual style, which, much like its protagonist, feels a bit stuck in place. Flashbacks to Otto’s younger, happier days are sun-soaked and nostalgic, but the rest of the film maintains a muted palette that mirrors Otto’s current emotional state. It’s serviceable but doesn’t do much to elevate the film’s uneven tone.
Tom Hanks as Otto is… well, he’s Tom Hanks. He’s hard to dislike, even when he’s yelling at a delivery truck for parking slightly askew. While Hanks grounds the film with his trademark humanity, it’s Mariana Treviño as Marisol who injects life into this dramedy. Her effervescent energy is the perfect foil to Otto’s gruffness, and their evolving relationship is the heart of the film. Unfortunately, the rest of the cast feels like set dressing—stock characters who are more plot devices than people. The supporting players, from Otto’s estranged friends to his fitness-obsessed neighbor, get just enough screen time to justify their existence, but little more.
The film meanders, much like Otto’s daily patrols of his neighborhood, checking for minor infractions. It’s a slow burn, which at times feels less like a cozy afternoon walk and more like getting stuck behind the world’s slowest driver. The attempts at humor (often surrounding Otto’s repeated suicide attempts) can feel uncomfortable, and the balance between sentimentality and dark comedy is, frankly, a little wobbly. There are heartfelt moments that shine through, but the movie takes its sweet time getting there.
Watching A Man Called Otto is like watching your grumpy uncle finally crack a smile after years of sourness—it’s a little heartwarming, but also frustrating. There’s something undeniably touching about Otto’s arc from lonely curmudgeon to unlikely hero of the block, but the film’s heavy-handedness kept me from fully embracing it. Otto’s journey is predictable, and while there’s comfort in predictability, I couldn’t help but feel that it never quite rises above being just… nice.
This is a movie for fans of comfort food cinema. It’s not aiming for edgy or groundbreaking; it’s here to gently remind you that even the crankiest among us deserve a little love. But for those looking for deeper, more complex storytelling, A Man Called Otto may feel a bit too safe. The themes of community, aging, and loss are all there, but handled with the subtlety of a Hallmark card. Still, with Hanks leading the charge, it’s hard to hate it. You’ll leave with a smile, even if the film itself might not stick with you for long.
It’s charming, but you’ve seen this one before—just maybe not with this many failed suicide attempts.
