Variety Pans Waititi's 'Klara and the Sun' as Calamitous — SkimNews
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- Variety published a scathing review of Taika Waititi's 'Klara and the Sun' adaptation, calling it a 'calamitous android fantasy' and 'a hopeless mismatch of filmmaker and source material.'
- The film adapts Kazuo Ishiguro's 2021 novel of the same name, premieres in London after being conspicuously absent from September's launch festivals, and opens in theaters on October 23.
- Jenna Ortega stars as the solar-powered android Klara alongside Amy Adams as mother Chrissy, Mia Tharia as Josie, Natasha Lyonne as the Friend Store manager, and Rachel House; Michael Giacchino composed the score.
- Waititi co-wrote the script with TV vet Dahvi Waller ('Mrs. America') in her first big-screen credit, and Ishiguro holds an executive producer credit on the film.
- The review criticizes the tonal mismatch, saying Waititi's 'cutesy, kooky affectations fight the stoic sadness of Ishiguro's storytelling' and unfavorably compares the film to 'Ex Machina,' 'Marjorie Prime,' 'Her,' and 'Robot Dreams.'
- The story is set in a post-Third World War future where the internet has collapsed and wealthy families purchase AFs (artificial friends) for isolated, unsocialized children.
Why it matters: Taika Waititi's October 23 theatrical release 'Klara and the Sun' opens after being skipped at September's launch festivals and with Variety declaring the Ishiguro adaptation a 'hopeless mismatch' — a harsh verdict against a starry cast of Jenna Ortega, Amy Adams, and Natasha Lyonne.
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