--- title: "Klara and the Sun: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/klara-and-the-sun/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/klara-and-the-sun" critics_score: 27 critics_reviews: 18 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Klara and the Sun (2026): what the critics said Critics' score 27 from 18 reviews: 0 positive, 1 mixed, 17 negative. The consensus on Klara and the Sun is strongly negative, with critics repeatedly finding that Taika Waititi’s adaptation replaces the novel’s quiet emotional complexity with forced whimsy and heavy sentimentality. Jenna Ortega supplies the most consistent point of praise: several reviews admire her earnestness, expressive physical performance and ability to make Klara engaging despite thin writing. Beyond her performance, approval is scattered. The recurring complaint is that juvenile jokes disrupt the drama while questions about love, mortality and artificial intelligence remain underdeveloped. The disagreement is chiefly about how much survives those problems, rather than whether they exist. Empire offers the sole mixed assessment, finding intermittent charm alongside the inconsistent tone. Polygon finds the film moving and singles out Klara’s fractured, grid-like point-of-view sequences, despite its reservations about the humour. Harsher reviews find the sentiment unearned, with some questioning the performances as well as the adaptation’s handling of its source. ## Empire — Helen O’Hara Fi1m's normalised score 55/100 (inferred from the text). 20 October 2026. O’Hara finds the film charming in places but hampered by an uneven, inconsistent tone. She praises Jenna Ortega’s wide-eyed performance and determination as Klara. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/klara-and-the-sun/) ## Little White Lies — David Jenkins Rating 3/2/1. 15 October 2026. Jenkins finds the adaptation a breezy, incoherent fantasy that misses the emotional mark. He criticizes Waititi for undercutting the novel’s profound themes with juvenile humor and leaving ideas unresolved. [Read the review](https://www.lwlies.com/reviews/klara-and-the-sun) ## The Independent — Clarisse Loughrey Rating 2/5. 16 October 2026. Loughrey judges the adaptation a schmaltzy misfire that betrays the novel’s quiet, meditative vision. She particularly faults its cartoonish treatment of Klara and its forced jokes for flattening the source material’s incisive observations. [Read the review](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/reviews/klara-and-the-sun-movie-review-jenna-ortega-amy-adams-b3067833.html) ## Slant Magazine — David Robb Rating 1.5/4. 17 October 2026. Robb finds the adaptation hollow, arguing it strips away the novel’s emotional and philosophical substance. He praises Jenna Ortega’s earnest performance but faults the film for barely developing its dystopian premise. [Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/klara-and-the-sun-review-jenna-ortega-amy-adams-taika-waititi/) ## IndieWire — Ryan Lattanzio Rating D. 20 October 2026. The critic pans the film as a relentlessly twee, confoundingly bad adaptation. They fault its slapstick and tonal misjudgments for undermining its existential questions and Jenna Ortega’s performance. [Read the review](https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/movies/klara-and-the-sun-review-jenna-ortega-1235222961/) ## Screen Daily — Dave Calhoun Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 16 October 2026. Festival review. Calhoun’s headline characterizes the adaptation as overstuffed. The headline offers no further detail about what works or what specifically feels excessive. [Read the review](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/klara-and-the-sun-review-jenna-ortega-stars-in-taika-waititis-overstuffed-adaptation-of-the-kazuo-ishiguro-novel/5221529.article) ## The AV Club — Jesse Hassenger Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 22 October 2026. The critic finds the film cloying and overburdened, though Jenna Ortega’s performance is frequently winning. The review particularly praises her sunny expressiveness and comic physicality, while faulting the film’s muddled storylines and underdeveloped relationships. [Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/klara-and-the-sun-review-jenna-ortega-taika-waititi) ## Radio Times — Patrick Cremona Fi1m's normalised score 20/100 (inferred from the text). 16 October 2026. The critic calls the adaptation badly misjudged and says it fails to recapture the novel’s magic. The complaint is that the film loses what made the source novel work. [Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movies/klara-and-the-sun-review/) ## Vulture — Alison Willmore Fi1m's normalised score 20/100 (inferred from the text). 22 October 2026. Willmore finds the adaptation misbegotten and tonally glib, with its emotional and dramatic impact largely falling flat. She praises Jenna Ortega’s ability to make Klara’s guileless appearance compelling, but says little else in the film works. [Read the review](https://www.vulture.com/article/review-klara-and-the-sun-is-a-waste-of-jenna-ortega.html) ## Time Out — Olly Richards Fi1m's normalised score 15/100 (inferred from the text). 20 October 2026. The review judges the adaptation a dud and says its cutesy AI-fairytale approach needs a hard reset. It singles out that tone as the central problem, with no praise evident in the available text. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/klara-and-the-sun-review-2026) ## Los Angeles Times — Tim Grierson Fi1m's normalised score 10/100 (inferred from the text). 22 October 2026. Grierson finds the film overwhelmingly sentimental, simpleminded and emotionally unearned. He praises Mia Tharia’s snarky delivery but says it is overwhelmed by cloying scenes and melodrama. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2026-10-22/klara-sun-review-jenna-ortega-amy-adams-mia-tharia-taika-waititi) ## The Guardian — Peter Bradshaw Fi1m's normalised score 10/100 (inferred from the text). 15 October 2026. Bradshaw calls the film a sentimental, laborious mess that says little of substance about AI, love or grief. He particularly objects to its mannered performances and contrived ending. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2026/oct/15/klara-and-the-sun-review-taika-waititi-kazuo-ishiguro) ## The Hollywood Reporter — David Rooney Fi1m's normalised score 10/100 (inferred from the text). 20 October 2026. Rooney pans the film as cloying, clumsy, and emotionally ineffective. He particularly faults its forced whimsy for undermining Ishiguro’s subtle storytelling and the film’s attempts at poignancy. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/klara-and-the-sun-review-jenna-ortega-taika-waititi-1236735986/) ## Variety — Guy Lodge Fi1m's normalised score 10/100 (inferred from the text). 18 October 2026. Lodge finds the adaptation a calamitous mismatch with Ishiguro’s novel, calling it both perky and inert. He singles out the film’s twee tone and textureless visuals, while noting that Jenna Ortega cannot overcome the one-note writing. [Read the review](https://au.variety.com/2026/film/reviews/klara-and-the-sun-review-41429/) ## The Playlist — Rodrigo Perez Rating D+. 20 October 2026. The critic finds the adaptation disappointingly hollow, faulting Taika Waititi’s heavy-handed sentimentality for flattening the novel’s emotional complexity. Jenna Ortega’s earnest performance as Klara stands out as a bright spot. [Read the review](https://theplaylist.net/klara-and-the-sun-review-taika-waititi-jenna-ortega-20261020/) ## Polygon — Maria Loreto Fi1m's normalised score 35/100 (inferred from the text). 22 October 2026. The critic finds the film moving but ultimately frustrated by its uneven tone and juvenile jokes. They praise Klara’s fractured, grid-like point-of-view sequences as one of the film’s most inspired flourishes. [Read the review](https://www.polygon.com/klara-and-the-sun-review/) ## Deadline — Damon Wise Fi1m's normalised score 20/100 (inferred from the text). 15 October 2026. Festival review. Wise finds the film a flat, overly obvious adaptation that fails to deliver on its promised blend of comedy and drama. He praises Jenna Ortega’s energy early on, but complains that the story loses its fun and subtlety as it turns toward illness and mortality. [Read the review](https://deadline.com/2026/10/klara-and-the-sun-review-taiki-waititi-jenna-ortega-amy-adams-1237158580/) ## The Wrap Fi1m's normalised score 20/100 (inferred from the text). 22 October 2026. The critic finds the film a cloying, emotionally manipulative misfire that fails to engage with its story’s darker implications. They praise a brief scene of absurdity for honestly confronting the society depicted, and note Jenna Ortega’s committed physical performance. [Read the review](https://www.thewrap.com/creative-content/movies/klara-and-the-sun-review-jenna-ortega-taika-waititi/) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/klara-and-the-sun.md