Based on the # 1 New York Times bestseller “A Man Called Ove,” A Man Called Otto tells the story of Otto Anderson (Tom Hanks), a grump who no longer sees purpose in his life following the loss of his wife. Otto is ready to end it all, but his plans are interrupted when a lively young family moves in next door, and he meets his match in quick-witted Marisol. She challenges him to see life differently, leading to an unlikely friendship that turns his world around. A heartwarming and funny story about love, loss, and life, A Man Called Otto shows that family can sometimes be found in the most unexpected places.

For in-depth thoughts on A Man Called Otto, please see my colleague Dom Fisher’s review from its original theatrical release here.

Video Quality

Sony Pictures Home Entertainment brings A Man Called Otto to Blu-Ray with a lovely 1080p video presentation. The film implements a distinct palette depending on the period being featured, but no matter the time there are some vibrant colors within the setting and costumes. The black levels are rock solid with next to nothing in the way of digital noise or crush. Flesh tones are natural with a fine amount of detail present in close-ups. The presentation provides a grand amount of depth on display, especially when out in the world. The production design and the fabrics of clothing provide very tactile textural details that makes the world feel more three dimensional. The image is clean with a professional sheen that looks impressive. Sony has done a nice job with this transfer.

Audio Quality

This Blu-Ray comes with a stable DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio track that captures this reserved tale well. Dialogue comes through crisp and clear without being overshadowed by any competing sounds. The film features an inviting score from Thomas Newman which radiates from the speakers in a wonderful, well-balanced way. The low end of the track is not pushed to the brink, but it adds the appropriate texture to the world. Environmental sounds engage the surround speakers in a really pleasing way that makes the world feel three dimensional. There are some layered ambient details that flesh out the setting when the characters are in various situations. This track does everything it needs to do well. There are optional English, English SDH, French, Portuguese and Spanish subtitles provided.

Special Features

Breaking The Rules – Making A Man Called Otto: A nine-minute piece in which the cast and creative team discuss this story, the themes tackled by the narrative, what makes Tom Hanks such a great fit for this role, the look of the film and more.

“‘Til You’re Home” Music Video: A three-minute music video is provided here.

In The Studio with Rita Wilson & Sebastián Yatra: A three-minute featurette in which this creative team discusses the process of bringing the song above to life.

Otto Preps His Car For The Kids: A minute-long unused scene is provided here in which Otto goes a bit overboard to keep his car clean.

Previews: There are trailers provided for Where The Crawdads Sing, Little Women, A Beautiful Day In The Neighborhood, A Mouthful Of Air and Here Today.

Final Thoughts

A Man Called Otto should not work as well as it does, especially for anyone who has seen the original film from several years back. Yet, it is somewhat of a testament to the power of Tom Hanks that this film not only avoids being your traditional failed American remake, but in many regards it tops the original. This is a movie brimming with emotions which this team delicately balances at every turn. As good as Hanks is, this film is strong even outside of his performance with an effective supporting cast and a well constructed script. Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has provided a Blu-Ray disc that sports a fantastic A/V presentation and a few brief supplements for those who do decide to check it out. Those who wish that studios would make more movies geared towards adults should not miss this one. Recommended

A Man Called Otto will be available to purchase on Blu-Ray, DVD and Digital on March 14, 2023.

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.