Taika Waititi used Halloween to give film critics a review of their own, calling them “sad lost souls” after the poor reception for his new movie, Klara and the Sun.
The director, 51, shared his response on Instagram on October 31, suggesting reviewers had turned to criticism after failing to become artists. His post included a ScreenRant item about the movie’s reception, according to TheWrap.
Jenna Ortega stars as Klara, an artificial companion who forms a close relationship with a seriously ill teenager, Josie, played by Mia Tharia. Amy Adams plays Josie’s mother, whose strained relationship with her daughter shapes the household Klara enters.
The film adapts Kazuo Ishiguro’s 2021 novel, with Waititi sharing screenplay credit with Dahvi Waller. Sony Pictures also lists Ishiguro as an executive producer. Aran Murphy, Steve Buscemi and Natasha Lyonne round out the principal cast.
Waititi Says He Listens to Moviegoers
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Waititi said he hadn’t read a review of his own work or that of his peers in almost 15 years. He added: “But I do listen to the people.”
He ended his caption with a string of dismissals: “Irrelevant. Out of touch. Obsolete. In the bin.”
As of November 1, Rotten Tomatoes showed a 26% critics’ score from 90 reviews and a 74% audience score from 100-plus verified ratings.
Among the negative reviews was William Bibbiani’s assessment for TheWrap. He argued that the adaptation pursued an emotional payoff without confronting the darker implications of its story, including the loneliness and fear built into its artificial companions.
Jenna Ortega’s Film Opens in 16th Place
Klara and the Sun opened in U.S. theaters on October 23. Box Office Mojo records a $701,059 opening weekend from 880 theaters, placing it 16th on the domestic chart. That works out to approximately $797 per location over three days.
Sony had scaled back the movie’s theatrical footprint following its poor reviews, Variety reported. TheWrap separately reported that the distributor had reduced its international release plans.
By October 30, the film’s domestic total had reached approximately $1.07 million, according to The Numbers.
Jojo Rabbit Received Mostly Positive Reviews
Waititi also invoked Jojo Rabbit, saying the critics he was dismissing had hated that movie too, without naming the reviewers. His 2019 satire follows a young boy in Nazi Germany whose imaginary companion is Adolf Hitler, played by Waititi himself.
That film did have detractors, but its overall critical reception was predominantly positive. Its Rotten Tomatoes page currently shows an 81% critics’ score from 433 reviews, alongside a 94% audience score.
Jojo Rabbit received six nominations at the 2020 Oscars, including Best Picture. Waititi won the Academy Award for adapted screenplay.