A Man Called Otto (2023) - Movie Review

Tom Hanks as “the grumpiest man in America”.

As I got into last year with his villainous role in Elvis, Hanks isn’t as bad a fit for abrasive characters as his public persona would imply. But that’s not necessarily what he’s doing here, at least from what I saw. His performance as the titular Otto is more melancholic than outright ‘grumpy’, dealing with the loss of a loved one and just wanting the world to leave him in peace… while he plans his exit from it. The film is set up to take him on a personal journey where he learns to move past his grief and live life again, making him come out of his shell and all that, but I’d argue that the film doesn’t do that well with the idea.

The Addams Family (2019) - Movie Review

Of all the preconceptions I’ve gone into a film with, this one marks a particularly dark possibility. Namely, while I was watching this, I was seriously hoping that none of the animators had to work in sweatshop conditions to make it. Yes, coming from the directors behind Sausage Party, in particular Nitrogen Studios head and human ringpiece Greg Tiernan, that is a legit worry. Admittedly, there haven’t been any reports yet of such things being the case with this one, but considering Sausage Party’s place as one of my few genuine problematic favourites because of what happened behind the scenes, I really hope this isn’t just Act II of the same shit. Especially since it would mean once again being conflicted over a film I enjoyed.