Based on the bestselling novel by Nobel Prize winner Kazuo Ishiguro and written and directed by Academy Award winner Taika Waititi (Jojo Rabbit), Klara and the Sun introduces audiences to Klara (Jenna Ortega), an Artificial Friend who wants nothing more than to find the perfect home.
When Klara meets Josie (Mia Tharia), each immediately senses a kindred spirit in the other. Josie has a fraught relationship with her mother (Amy Adams), and they've suffered great loss, but Klara's innocent wonder and unwavering loyalty begin to heal the family and bring light to Josie's complicated world.
Waititi once had the makings of becoming Hollywood's most in-demand filmmaker. After delivering indie hits like What We Do in the Shadows and Hunt for the Wilderpeople, he made his blockbuster debut with Thor: Ragnarok. The movie reinvented the God of Thunder for the MCU and received rave reviews, and it wasn't long until Lucasfilm enlisted him for episodes of The Mandalorian and a now-unmade Star Wars movie.
He followed Thor: Ragnarok with the controversial but well-received Jojo Rabbit, only to go off the rails with Thor: Love and Thunder. The 2022 movie was widely considered a disappointment by fans and even prompted actor Chris Hemsworth to acknowledge that such a strong comedic tone was not the right fit for the Avenger.
Waititi attempted to bounce back with Next Goal Wins, but after it received 46% from critics on Rotten Tomatoes, it seemed critics had soured on the filmmaker. Now, there's more bad news, as Klara and the Sun has debuted on the review aggregator with a "Rotten" 20% score.
As we explained on SFFGazette.com, reviews are overwhelmingly negative, with several 1* verdicts, including The Guardian. The site writes, "Taika Waititi detonates an explosion of postmodern quirkiness and ironic dorkiness in this unbearably mannered, unspeakably acted film."
The Times concurs, noting, "It’s a hopeless film, slippery and mendacious, full of gross Hallmark sentiment, and has been bettered by a myriad of previous robot companion flicks." The Daily Telegraph echoes those Thor: Love and Thunder complaints by stating, "It’s hard to fathom what Waititi thought he was doing in playing things for laughs."
Deadline was also unimpressed. "Klara And The Sun just doesn’t deliver on any of the fronts it promises," the trade explains. "Instead, we’re faced with a sporadically funny meditation on life and premature death that... can’t quite capture the subtleties of speculative literary sci-fi."
Screen International gave it a (mostly) positive review, at least, concluding, "Strong performances and imaginative visuals help to make it an engaging fairytale with a distinctive otherworldly tone -- but something is lost by widening the story beyond Klara’s tight perspective."
Directed by Taika Waititi and written by Waititi and Dahvi Waller, Klara and the Sun is based on the book by Kazuo Ishiguro. Produced by David Heyman, Garrett Basch, and Waititi, the executive producers include Gary Barber, Alex G. Scott, Jeffrey Clifford, Rosie Alison, and Kazuo Ishiguro.
Starring Jenna Ortega, Amy Adams, Mia Tharia, and Aran Murphy, with Steve Buscemi and Natasha Lyonne, Klara and the Sun arrives in theaters on October 23.