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Andrew Rasmussen’s award-winning documentary, executive produced by Dominique Jackson, celebrates the extraordinary freedom of finally becoming yourself.
Imagine reaching the age of 59 and realizing that the most exciting, meaningful, and authentic chapter of your life hasn’t even begun.
For most people, approaching 60 means reflecting on the lives they’ve built, the roads they’ve traveled, and perhaps a few dreams that never quite became reality.
For Micky Angelo Petrillo, it meant something radically different.
It meant finally becoming the man he had always known himself to be.
In Call Me Micky, director Andrew Rasmussen explores that remarkable transformation with warmth, humor, compassion, and a refreshing understanding of what makes a personal story truly compelling.
Executive produced by POSE star Dominique Jackson, the 22-minute documentary introduces audiences to a New Jersey businessman whose decision to transition at 59 opened the door to a completely unexpected second act.
And what a second act it is.
Discovering a Life That Was Always Waiting
What makes Call Me Micky so affecting is its refusal to portray personal transformation as a simple, neatly packaged triumph.
Petrillo’s journey involves excitement, uncertainty, difficult memories, and the occasionally overwhelming experience of discovering an entirely different relationship with the world.
For decades, he lived a relatively ordinary suburban existence, operating his business and navigating the responsibilities of everyday life.
But beneath that familiar exterior was a person struggling to reconcile how the world perceived him with who he actually was.
At 62, Micky is no longer interested in allowing that conflict to define his future.
Instead, he’s embracing opportunities that once seemed unimaginable.
The documentary follows his growing involvement in the New York and New Jersey arts communities, introducing viewers to a man who is learning to enjoy the spotlight despite his occasional anxiety about stepping into it.
One particularly touching experience involves Micky’s first professional photo shoot. What could easily have been presented as a lighthearted makeover becomes something much more meaningful: an opportunity to look at himself with a new sense of possibility.
There’s a beautiful emotional truth beneath moments like these.
Sometimes, learning to love yourself means allowing yourself to be seen.
The Power of Friendship
An especially appealing aspect of the documentary is the community of friends and artists who welcome Micky into their lives.
Among them is Dominique Jackson, whose commanding presence and extraordinary career have made her one of the most recognizable transgender performers in contemporary entertainment.
Best known for her unforgettable portrayal of Elektra Evangelista on FX’s POSE, Jackson brings both personal understanding and compassion to the project.
Her involvement feels particularly meaningful because Call Me Micky isn’t about celebrity. It’s about connection.
The film also introduces personalities from the performing arts community who encourage Petrillo to experiment with fashion, public performance, and self-expression.
These relationships help illustrate an important aspect of his transformation.
Micky hasn’t simply changed how he presents himself to the world. He’s discovering new possibilities for friendship, creativity, and belonging.
It’s a reminder that personal reinvention rarely happens in isolation.
Sometimes the people who enter our lives at precisely the right moment help us discover parts of ourselves we never realized were waiting to emerge.
More Than a Story About Transition
The documentary’s emotional appeal extends well beyond its central LGBTQ+ narrative.
At its heart, Call Me Micky is about the extraordinary courage required to abandon an existence that no longer feels authentic.
It’s about breaking away from expectations, confronting painful memories, and accepting that happiness doesn’t always arrive on society’s preferred schedule.
Micky’s story also offers a powerful challenge to the idea that people become less adventurous, less interesting, or less capable of transformation as they grow older.
Here is a man in his sixties exploring new interests, developing friendships, discovering his voice, and making his presence felt in an entirely new community.
His enthusiasm is infectious.
And his willingness to laugh at the unpredictable nature of his new experiences makes him an unusually engaging documentary subject.
Rasmussen wisely lets that personality remain central to the film.
Rather than overwhelming the story with commentary, the documentary’s intimate approach keeps its attention on the person whose life is changing before our eyes.
A Short Film That Leaves a Lasting Impression
At just 22 minutes, Call Me Micky occasionally feels like the opening chapter of a much larger story.
There are emotional subjects that deserve further exploration, particularly the difficulties Petrillo experienced before his transition and the complicated process of rebuilding his understanding of himself.
Yet the film’s relatively brief running time also gives it a compelling sense of immediacy.
This isn’t a definitive biography of a man whose most important experiences are behind him.
It’s an introduction to someone whose future suddenly feels wide open.
The documentary has already received Best Documentary honors at the New York Transgender Film Festival and the Spirit of Pride Award at the Susquehanna LGBTQ Film Festival.
Its upcoming November 7 screening at the Teaneck International Film Festival provides a fitting homecoming for a man whose life has long been rooted in Bergen County, New Jersey.
Final Verdict
Call Me Micky is a touching, funny, and wonderfully human portrait of someone who refused to accept that the most meaningful years of his life had already passed.
The film’s appeal lies not in the extraordinary circumstances of Petrillo’s transition alone, but in the universally recognizable desire to be loved, accepted, and genuinely happy.
There is joy in his determination, vulnerability in his uncertainty, and something deeply inspiring about watching a man discover possibilities that once seemed forever beyond his reach.
The documentary leaves us with a thought worth carrying long after its closing moments.
Life doesn’t necessarily begin at 20, 30, 40, or even 50. Sometimes it begins the moment you finally give yourself permission to live it.
For Micky Angelo Petrillo, that moment was worth waiting for.
And for audiences, his remarkable journey is certainly worth discovering.
Review Verdict: A moving and life-affirming documentary that celebrates personal freedom, human connection, and the extraordinary possibilities of starting over.
Official Film Website: https://www.CallMeMickyFilm.com