Taika Waititi Attacks Critics After ‘Klara and the Sun’ Becomes His Lowest-Rated Film
Filmmakers have been arguing with critics for as long as there have been reviews. The subject usually comes up when a movie underperforms, a director feels misunderstood and a social media post becomes the outlet. This Halloween, one of Hollywood’s most distinctive voices has joined that tradition with the strongest possible words.
Taika Waititi built his reputation on offbeat comedy, big heart and an unmistakable sense of style. That made his decision to adapt a highly regarded literary novel one of the most intriguing moves of his career. The reception has been a very different story, and it has now prompted a public response that is getting plenty of attention.
Waititi took to Instagram with a post that pointed to the film’s audience score and took aim at the people who panned it. He said he hasn’t read a review of anything aimed at him or his peers in almost 15 years, but that he does listen to audiences. He then used Halloween as a springboard to describe critics as artists who never achieved their dreams, calling them irrelevant, out of touch and obsolete, and adding that they also disliked ‘Jojo Rabbit’.
The post landed just days after the movie opened in theaters, and it came with a pointed reference to a 78% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. That number stands in sharp contrast to the critics’ tally. World of Reel described the rant as unhinged and noted that critics had helped lift Waititi’s career early on by praising ‘What We Do in the Shadows’ and ‘Hunt for the Wilderpeople’.
‘Klara and the Sun‘ premiered at the BFI London Film Festival on October 15, and the response was harsh almost immediately. It debuted on Rotten Tomatoes with a 20% score, which made it the lowest-rated film of Waititi’s directing career. At last count, only 24% of 66 reviews were positive, with an average rating of 4.5 out of 10, while Metacritic assigned it a score of 30 out of 100.
Individual reviews have been tough. The Guardian gave the film one star, and the Boston Globe awarded it a star and a half, calling it a tedious take on a familiar robot story that barely survives despite a committed lead performance. Some early reactions were glowing, though, with at least one social media reviewer calling it a return to form for the director.
The movie is based on Kazuo Ishiguro’s novel and stars Jenna Ortega as Klara, a solar-powered Artificial Friend purchased for a sick girl named Josie, played by Mia Tharia. Amy Adams plays Josie’s mother, and the cast also includes Aran Murphy, Natasha Lyonne and Steve Buscemi. Waititi co-wrote the screenplay with Dahvi Waller.
Sony reportedly held the film for more than two years before releasing it, and it runs 116 minutes with a PG-13 rating in the US. Scenes featuring Waititi himself and Rita Ora were cut from the final version, along with those of Simon Baker’s character. It reached theaters on October 23.
The timing is awkward for a filmmaker whose past work has been critically celebrated. ‘Jojo Rabbit’ holds an 80% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 430 reviews, and Waititi won an Oscar for its adapted screenplay. The film also earned a Best Picture nomination, which makes his jab about critics who disliked it a notable oversimplification of its reception.
His more recent run has been bumpier. ‘Next Goal Wins’ scored 46% from critics, a result that suggested the goodwill was fading even before this film. According to a report from kino.de, ‘Klara and the Sun’ also had the lowest opening weekend of any film led by Ortega, and the outlet described it as a new low for the director.
Responses to the post have been mixed. Some fans have cheered Waititi for defending the movie and trusting the audience. Others argue that dismissing an entire profession is a poor look for an artist whose career has benefited from critical support.
There’s also the question of how much a director’s reaction can influence the film’s trajectory. Audience scores can help word of mouth, but they rarely erase a poor critical consensus. For now, the film’s box office run and how it holds up in the coming weeks will tell more of the story.
Meet Klara. Your new best (artificial) friend 🌞 Jenna Ortega is Klara in Takia Waititi’s adaptation of Kazuo Ishiguro’s #KlaraAndTheSun – only in cinemas coming soon. Watch the trailer now. https://t.co/UWUOIjqZGp
— Sony Pictures UK 🎬 (@SonyPicturesUK) June 22, 2026
Directors and critics have clashed for decades, and the tension is often rooted in the gap between intention and execution. A filmmaker lives with a project for years, while a reviewer sees it once and writes about it quickly. That gap can feel enormous, especially when a movie is personal.
Waititi’s post is unlikely to end the debate. If anything, it ensures that more people will notice the film’s reception and decide for themselves. Whether it improves the movie’s standing or only adds to the noise is an open question.
Was Taika Waititi justified in criticizing critics over Klara and the Sun?
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