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ly, nor did the characters go through a fantastical journey, flled with magic or romance. It was simply an old man and his life. As an avid believer that teenagers make unpredictable protagonists, the careful progression and subtle moments in this movie felt like something I would watch on a Tuesday late afternoon to make my day a little wittier and more meaningful.

Yes, the plot could seem dull or obvious to some people, but the movie for the same reasons felt cathartic. Despite the name change and a reduction of characters for book-to-movie practicality, it evoked as many strong emotions as the book did. I even enjoyed many of the chang es in the movie, unlike in others where departures from the book’s original plot make it feel too dif ferent. A new character named Malcolm is a teenage paperboy Otto fought with for throwing magazines around from his bike. Malcolm would later show just how kind Otto was when he later came to the old man, whose wife had been Malcolm’s teacher when she was alive, and asked to stay at his house after being kicked out for his identity as a trans man.

In the same vein, I saw characters in the book brought to life with showstopping acting like Marisol (Mariana Treviño), the exuberant new neighbor and the frst person who can match Otto’s energy with overwhelming enthusiasm and willpower. And, of course, the obligatory pet that the old man archetype adopts to show his soft side, the stray cat.

I would not recommend “A Man Called Otto” to those who prefer more of a fast paced, fashy and unpredictable plot, or those who are easily triggered by