Tom Hanks stars as the titular curmudgeonly protagonist in A Man Called Otto, based on the novel A Man Called Ove. What did the critics think?
What did the reviews of A Man Called Otto say about the dark comedy starring Tom Hanks? The movie’s title character is a lovable curmudgeon who is left feeling pessimistic and suicidal following the death of his wife. As he plots to take his own life, Otto’s worldview is turned around when a young family moves into his neighborhood. A Man Called Otto is a movie adaptation of Fredrik Backman’s bestselling 2012 novel A Man Called Ove and an English-language remake of the 2015 Swedish film version with the same title as the book.
A Man Called Otto was helmed by Marc Forster, the director of Quantum of Solace and World War Z, and scripted by Oscar-nominated screenwriter David Magee, best known for Finding Neverland and Life of Pi. At a time when most big-screen comedies bomb at the box office, Hanks proved he still has the star power to draw audiences to the theater with A Man Called Otto’s admirable worldwide gross of more than $112 million (via Box Office Mojo). But what did the A Man Called Otto reviews say about this uniquely offbeat dramedy?
Critics Thought A Man Called Otto Was Formulaic But Sweet
As its 69% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes would suggest, the critical reception to A Man Called Otto was mostly positive without reaching the heights of unanimous praise that other Tom Hanks films like Toy Story and Saving Private Ryan managed to achieve. The critics behind the A Man Called Otto reviews generally felt that the movie was sweet and heartfelt if a little formulaic. The critics’ consensus promises that A Man Called Otto will “tug at your heartstrings” despite following a “tried-and-true” formula. It might be predictable, but it’s an enjoyable ride.
Most of the A Man Called Otto reviews singled out Hanks’s understated yet powerful performance in the title role as one of the saving graces that make the film worth watching. Hanks is renowned as one of the most dependable actors in Hollywood, which is partly why A Man Called Otto succeeded at the box office, so this is hardly surprising. In Screen Rant’s A Man Called Otto review, Mae Abdulbaki gave the film three out of five stars and deemed it to be “decent despite its conventional storytelling, and even heartwarming and tender when it dares to be sincere.”
Stream A Man Called Otto On Netflix
A Man Called Otto is currently available to stream on Netflix. It’s a movie that inspires optimism in the face of adversity and hopelessness. Although 69% is a dubious Rotten Tomatoes score to gamble 126 minutes on, A Man Called Otto is well worth checking out – especially for Hanks fans who want to see him play against type as a cynical crank. In spite of its mixed critical reception and lukewarm reviews, the audience responded much more kindly to A Man Called Otto, with a near-perfect 97% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes.