- Taika Waititi’s adaptation of Kazuo Ishiguro’s sci-fi novel Klara and the Sun falls flat, marking another critical stumble following Thor: Love and Thunder and Next Goal Wins.
- Jenna Ortega stars as the solar-powered Artificial Friend Klara alongside Amy Adams, Natasha Lyonne, and Mia Tharia in a tonal mishmash of whimsical children’s aesthetics and grim, mature themes.
- The film struggles with plodding visual storytelling, unflattering styling, and an unearned sentimental score by Michael Giacchino ahead of its theatrical release on October 23.
Taika Waititi Stumbles in Adapting Kazuo Ishiguro’s Acclaimed Sci-Fi Novel
On paper, an adaptation of Kazuo Ishiguro’s best-selling novel Klara and the Sun presented all the ingredients for a cinematic triumph. Arriving right as artificial intelligence dominates global cultural and ethical debates, the story centers on an Artificial Friend (AF) engineered to cure adolescent loneliness. The production boasts major star power, anchored by rising Hollywood heavyweight Jenna Ortega—seeking to display dramatic range far removed from her stoic turn in Wednesday and her gritty role in the Scream franchise—alongside multi-Oscar nominee Amy Adams and Natasha Lyonne. Steering the ship is Academy Award-winning filmmaker Taika Waititi, who famously adapted Barry Crump’s Wild Pork and Watercress into the acclaimed Hunt for the Wilderpeople.
However, the spark that once defined Waititi’s eccentric filmography feels entirely extinguished here. A decade removed from the charm of Ricky Baker, Waititi’s recent output has faced mounting creative exhaustion, running from mixed receptions for Jojo Rabbit, to the critical letdown of Thor: Love and Thunder, to his poorly received sports comedy Next Goal Wins. With Klara and the Sun, Waititi fails to revive that creative energy, delivering an adaptation that lands as a narrative and tonal disaster.
An Unsettling Dystopia Lost in Tonal Confusion
Set in a post-World War III, post-internet world where robotic companions are a staple status symbol for affluent families, the film introduces Klara (Ortega) waiting in an AF boutique. Among her peers, Klara is viewed as an oddity who prays directly to the sun and perches “like a flamingo” with a single leg lifted. Facing the threat of decommissioning and factory scrapping if left unsold, she is purchased by an ailing, morose teenager named Josie (Mia Tharia), an event that prompts Klara to proclaim she has been rescued from “certain doom.”
Klara is transported far from the city to a rural home surrounded by vast wheat fields. There, she enters an environment suffused with unresolved grief overseen by Josie’s overbearing mother, Chrissie (Amy Adams), an interior designer mourning the past death of Josie’s older sister Sal. Alongside an intensely guarded maid, Melania (Rachel House), the household treats Klara as a glorified baby monitor rather than a confidante. While Josie endures unexplained medical fits and intravenous treatments, Klara interacts with peripheral figures including Josie’s friend Rick (Aran Murphy) and an eccentric scarecrow robot dubbed Scarecrow (Jesse Griffin). Convinced that the sun is a supreme, benevolent entity capable of curing Josie’s deteriorating health, Klara places her faith entirely in solar salvation.
A Clash of Whimsical Aesthetics and Bleak Storytelling
The screenplay, written by Waititi and Dahvi Waller, falters critically in identifying its audience. Beginning in an AF showroom where a manager played by Natasha Lyonne reads bedtime stories, the film initially adopts the naive curiosity of Roald Dahl’s Matilda, dressed up in wholesome explorer costuming. However, that childlike lens is quickly derailed by the abrupt insertion of grim subjects including arson, suicide, bloodshed, and violent physical trauma. Unlike the atmospheric gothic balance achieved in Tim Burton’s family-friendly dark comedies, Waititi’s treatment turns mean-spirited and dreary.
Characters routinely belittle Klara as an “idiot,” and the human cast is rendered as abrasive and deeply unsympathetic. Even Lyonne’s ostensibly warm manager subjects Klara to sensory deprivation by locking her in a pitch-black closet—effectively starving a solar-reliant entity. Amy Adams is trapped in an emotionally hollow role that offers none of her typical screen magnetism, while Tharia is relegated to perpetual teen angst. Coupled with a muddy, sickly yellow-green color palette, unflattering costume designs, and an overtly manipulative, sentimental musical score composed by Michael Giacchino, the film leaves Ortega’s sunny, physical performance completely marooned.
Why This Matters
The reception of Klara and the Sun highlights growing creative fatigue surrounding Taika Waititi’s directorial brand. Once celebrated as an inventive indie auteur who transitioned seamlessly into major studio fare, Waititi has faced consecutive critical misfires when handling delicate source material. Furthermore, as societal conversations regarding artificial intelligence shift toward genuine psychological concerns about childhood isolation and digital dependence, the film’s simplified framing of an AI servant devoted unconditionally to human happiness feels noticeably out of step with current realities. For Jenna Ortega, while the project demonstrates an eagerness to diversify her portfolio beyond horror and gothic genres, the production stands as a rare artistic miscalculation in her rapid ascent.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the premise of Klara and the Sun?
Based on Kazuo Ishiguro’s acclaimed novel, the story follows Klara, an empathetic, solar-powered Artificial Friend purchased to provide companionship and care for Josie, a chronically ill teenager living in an isolated country home.
Who stars in the film adaptation?
The movie stars Jenna Ortega in the titular role of Klara, with Mia Tharia playing Josie. The supporting cast features Amy Adams as Josie’s mother Chrissie, Natasha Lyonne as the robot store manager, Aran Murphy as Rick, and Rachel House as Melania.
When will Klara and the Sun be released?
The film is scheduled to arrive in movie theaters on October 23.
