Waititi Blames Film Critics for Klara and the Sun Failure

Filmmaker Taika Waititi has criticized professional movie reviewers following the disappointing box-office performance of Klara and the Sun, his adaptation of Kazuo Ishiguro's novel. In a social media post published around Halloween, the Jojo Rabbit director questioned critics' credibility and defended his preference for audience reactions over professional reviews.

The film, which reportedly cost $44 million (£32.8 million) to produce, generated only $701,000 (£523,000) during its opening weekend in North America. According to box-office figures cited by The Guardian, the release averaged just under $800 (£596) per theater across 880 locations, placing it 16th overall.

Waititi directed his criticism at reviewers whom he believes have lost touch with ordinary moviegoers. He also referenced negative reactions to his earlier work, particularly his 2019 film Jojo Rabbit.

"This Halloween, let’s spare a thought for those sad lost souls who couldn’t achieve their dreams of becoming artists, and thus settled, and became critics." Waititi wrote on social media.

He continued his criticism by questioning the relevance of professional reviewers and their opinions.

"The same people who also hated Jojo Rabbit … Irrelevant. Out of touch. Obsolete.

In the bin." Waititi wrote.

The director also highlighted the difference between audience and critic ratings on Rotten Tomatoes. At the time of the report, the film held a 74% audience score compared with a 26% critics' score based on 90 reviews.

Waititi said he had largely stopped following professional reviews but continued paying attention to audience feedback.

"I haven’t read a review of anything aimed at me or my peers in almost 15 years. But I do listen to the people." Waititi said.

The negative commercial results were accompanied by unfavorable reviews from several prominent critics. The Guardian's chief film critic, Peter Bradshaw, awarded the production one star and criticized its storytelling and performances.

"unbearably mannered" and "unspeakably acted" Bradshaw described the film in his review.

He also questioned its balance between comedy and emotional storytelling, expressing dissatisfaction with its overall execution.

"[It] is soft-centred sci-fi-lite, simultaneously demanding we laugh at its (unfunny) humour and wipe away a tear at its pass-agg poignancy." Bradshaw wrote.

Bradshaw had previously criticized Waititi's 2019 film Jojo Rabbit, demonstrating that his negative assessment extended beyond the director's latest production.

"terrible film … a pointless Hitler-spoofy YA adventure with a 12A certificate, obtusely accentuating little-kid cuteness and optimism amid the quaintly imagined non-horror." Bradshaw wrote about Jojo Rabbit.

Other publications also delivered unfavorable assessments. Wendy Ide, writing for the Observer, criticized the adaptation's treatment of the original novel.

"a thin and cloying thing that strips away any profundity in the source material and replaces it with self-conscious quirkiness" Ide wrote.

Meanwhile, Tim Grierson of the Los Angeles Times criticized the film's emotional presentation and directing style.

"[Waititi] lacquers the film with a calculated gooeyness that’s stultifying before it becomes downright exasperating" Grierson wrote.

The film also struggled to attract British audiences, earning £176,000 during its opening weekend across 368 theaters, equivalent to an average of £477 per location.

Its second weekend in North America brought another setback. According to the box-office figures cited by The Guardian, revenue fell 79% to $145,000 (£108,000) from a similar number of theaters.