A Man Called Otto (2022)
12-month trend
12-month trend
Monthly article views
2025-09 to 2026-08
A bitter, elderly widower's plans for self-destruction are repeatedly interrupted by the arrival of new neighbors and the complexities of community life.
The story
Otto Anderson is a 63-year-old widower living in a patio home in suburban Pittsburgh. Six months after the death of his wife, Sonya, Otto has become a curmudgeonly, fastidious recluse. Following his retirement from a steel plant, he becomes increasingly isolated and plans to end his life to join his late wife. However, his plans are repeatedly disrupted by the arrival of new neighbors—a pregnant woman and her family—who attempt to befriend him. As Otto is forced to interact with them and navigate the challenges of his neighborhood, he finds himself reluctantly involved in their lives and the lives of other neighbors, complicating his desire for solitude.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Otto Anderson, a 63-year-old widower in suburban Pittsburgh, lives as a curmudgeonly recluse following the death of his wife, Sonya. He plans to end his life but is repeatedly interrupted by his new neighbors, Marisol and her family. Throughout his various attempts at suicide, Otto is forced to intervene in the lives of others: he helps his neighbor Anita with her home, rescues a man on a train track, and befriends a local teenager named Malcolm. He eventually learns that a real estate company is trying to exploit his neighbors' vulnerabilities. Otto decides to fight them, ultimately leading to a community stand against the company's tactics. After a medical emergency, Otto is hospitalized and eventually passes away from heart failure three years later, leaving his home and belongings to Marisol. The film concludes with his neighbors gathering to honor his memory.
- First release year
- 2022
- Runtime (minutes)
- 126
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Marc Forster
- Writers
- David Magee · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- Tom Hanks · Otto; Truman Hanks · Otto; Mariana Treviño · Marisol; Rachel Keller · Anita; Manuel Garcia-Rulfo · Reuben; Christiana Montoya · Luna; Alessandra Perez · Abby
- Genres
- comedy-drama
- Themes
- widowhood; community; loneliness
- Tone and mood
- bitter; curmudgeonly
- Premise and plot tags
- remake; adaptation
- Source material / true-story basis
- A Man Called Ove (novel by Fredrik Backman)
- Content notes
- suicide
- Reception
- The film received positive reviews from critics and received a 'A' grade from audiences on CinemaScore.
- Reported review scores
- Metacritic · score: 51 · scale: 100 · review count: 36
- Awards and nominations
- Academy Award · Best Original Song · shortlisted
- Production trivia
- The film is a remake of the 2015 Swedish film A Man Called Ove.; The film was originally set for a wide release on December 25, 2022.; The soundtrack features the single 'Til You're Home' by Rita Wilson and Sebastián Yatra.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
Your lists
Loading your lists…