83
Holm’s adaptation is a darkly funny, tragic, and ultimately heartwarming tearjerker about the life of one lonely but extraordinary man.
What are people saying?
What are critics saying?
67
It’s hard to resist the joy of the film, the unbridled heart, and Ove’s tremendous, hilarious hatred for all the idiots of the world.
50
The New York Times by Glenn Kenny
Good-hearted stuff, to be sure, but mainly of interest to lovers of cinematic comfort food.
75
The Seattle Times by John Hartl
A Man Called Ove has some tear-jerking moments, but the film is so carefully designed — with long, circular takes that seem to surround the main characters at crucial fateful points — that technique often triumphs over sentimentality.
63
Slant Magazine by Keith Watson
It's emotionally manipulative, but its two leads find a core of humanity even in the most calculating plot machinations.
75
Chicago Tribune by Michael Phillips
Sweet and flinty in roughly equal measure, the movie's a big hit in its native country.
70
Los Angeles Times by Michael Rechtshaffen
Incorporating fluid flashbacks and snippets of narration that refreshingly serve to enhance rather than distract, director-writer Hannes Holm maintains a gentle, lyrical flow while coaxing fine performances from a diverse cast.
70
A Man Called Ove — preaching tolerant togetherness as the key to happiness — earns its sentimentality by striking a delicate balance between barking-mad comedy and syrupy melodrama.
88
RogerEbert.com by Odie Henderson
All movies are manipulative by default; the effectiveness of that manipulation is the more valid measurement to inspect. On that scale, A Man Called Ove is a morbidly funny and moving success.
60
The Hollywood Reporter by Sheri Linden
Starting out with a bracing, off-kilter wryness, Ove moves steadily, and disappointingly, toward the crowd-pleasing center.