Klara and the Sun divides critics ahead of October 23 opening
Critics are sharply divided on Klara and the Sun with one week to go before it reaches cinemas.
The Sony Pictures feature will open in theatres on October 23, according to Variety. It is an adaptation of Kazuo Ishiguro's novel of the same name, published in 2021. The book is told from the point of view of its title character, a solar-powered Artificial Friend built to keep a lonely teenager company.
Jenna Ortega stars as Klara, the humanoid AF, meaning artificial friend, waiting in a shop to be chosen. Mia Tharia plays Josie, the sullen teenager who buys her. Natasha Lyonne plays the manager of the Friend Store where Klara waits, and Amy Adams co-stars.
The film premiered in London after sitting out September's season-launching festivals, Variety reports. That arrival followed the release of the first trailer in June, which introduced Ortega's robot character to the public.
It was written and directed by Taika Waititi. Author Ishiguro takes an executive producer credit, a senior creative role without day-to-day control of the shoot. Michael Giacchino composed the score.
Waititi said he wanted a more human approach to playing Klara, rather than a mechanical robot performance, according to Variety. The story is set in a near-future United States where children can order artificial companions.
Reviews have landed in very different places. Variety on October 17 called the film a "twee, pulseless fantasy" and a "hopeless mismatch of filmmaker and source material." The Guardian on October 16 described it as "soft-centred sci-fi-lite," in its review of the film.
ScreenDaily took a warmer view on October 15, calling it "an engaging fairytale with a distinctive otherworldly tone" helped by strong performances and imaginative visuals.
For audiences, this means a familiar Waititi cast facing unfamiliar material. Ishiguro is a Nobel Prize winner known for quiet, interior stories. Waititi is an Academy Award winner known for broad comedy. How that pairing plays on screen is now for ticket buyers to decide.
