Taika Waititi's latest film, Klara and the Sun, has become the worst-reviewed directing credit of his career on Rotten Tomatoes. The adaptation debuted in theaters on Oct. 23 and landed a 26% critics' score on the aggregator, far below anything else in his filmography. Audiences have been considerably warmer: the movie holds a 74% audience score.
In response, Waititi posted an image on Instagram highlighting the gap between the two scores and used the caption to attack film critics. He described them as "sad lost souls" who are "out of touch" and "obsolete," and said he had not read a review of anything aimed at himself or his peers in almost 15 years. "But I do listen to the people," he wrote. The director also referenced the critical reception of his 2019 film Jojo Rabbit, which was not without detractors but holds an 81% critics' score on the site.
Before Klara and the Sun, Waititi's lowest-rated directing effort was 2023's Next Goal Wins at 46%. Most of his films register as fresh with critics, including Hunt for the Wilderpeople at 97%, What We Do in the Shadows at 96% and Thor: Ragnarok at 93%. Jojo Rabbit sits at 81%, Boy at 88%, Thor: Love and Thunder at 64% and Eagle vs. Shark at 57%. Audience scores for those titles range from 57% for Thor: Love and Thunder to 92% for Jojo Rabbit.
The film was directed by Waititi, who co-wrote the screenplay with Dahvi Waller. It is based on Kazuo Ishiguro's 2021 novel of the same name and is set in a futuristic world. Jenna Ortega plays Klara, a solar-powered humanoid robot designed to provide companionship to lonely children and teenagers. The robot forms a close bond with Josie, a teenager battling a serious illness, and becomes part of the family through her persistent optimism about their difficulties. Mia Tharia plays Josie.
The cast also includes Amy Adams, Aran Murphy, Natasha Lyonne and Steve Buscemi. Klara and the Sun runs 116 minutes and was produced by David Heyman, Garrett Basch and Waititi. It is currently playing in movie theaters.
Sources: Comic Book Resources.