Jenna Ortega and Amy Adams Premiere "Klara and the Sun" Amidst Mixed Reviews

Jenna Ortega and Amy Adams graced the premiere of their new film, "Klara and the Sun," at New York's Crosby Street Hotel on Monday. The event highlighted the film's promotional push despite a wave of critical reviews.

Ortega, 24, arrived in a striking, fringed halterneck dress adorned with silver beading and accented with yellow and peach hues. She paired the garment with nude pointed heels and wore her dark hair straight. Adams, 52, opted for a contrasting elegant off-the-shoulder black dress featuring white flared cuffs, accessorized with pointed black heels and statement yellow diamond earrings.

The film's director, Taika Waititi, 51, joined the actresses on the carpet, seen in good spirits. "Klara and the Sun," based on Kazuo Ishiguro's novel, features Ortega as a robot companion designed to combat loneliness. The plot follows Klara, purchased by Josie (Mia Tharia) for her mother Chrissie (Adams) in an alternate future where advanced genetic engineering has created societal divisions.

The movie, which also stars Steve Buscemi and Natasha Lyonne, premiered earlier at the BFI London Film Festival. Since then, it has received a critical reception, holding a 25% score on Rotten Tomatoes based on 12 reviews. Major publications such as The Telegraph, The Times, and The Guardian have each awarded the film a single star.

Critics have voiced strong opinions. Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian described Waititi's adaptation as "a sentimental and laborious mess," lamenting its transformation of the AI fable into a "twee, tiresome tale of love and grief." Variety's Guy Lodge called the film "calamitous," noting that while Ortega "tries hard to illuminate this misbegotten Kazuo Ishiguro adaptation," Waititi's directorial choices negatively impacted the film. Tim Robey of The Telegraph summarized the movie as "mind-meltingly dreadful."

"Klara and the Sun" is scheduled for release in UK cinemas on October 23.