Jenna Ortega Plays Annoying Robot in Underwhelming Sci-Fi Flick 'Klara and the Sun'

Taika Waititi's latest film, "Klara and the Sun," starring Jenna Ortega and Amy Adams, has been met with a critical reception that describes it as an overworked and ultimately disappointing adaptation.

The film, based on Kazuo Ishiguro's 2021 novel, features Ortega as Klara, an "artificial friend" AI robot. Critics note that Ortega's performance, while fitting the narrative's requirement for a quirky AI, leans into a predictable portrayal of unusual roles that has become characteristic of her recent work. Similarly, director Waititi's signature comedic style is described as being forced onto a story that doesn't accommodate it, leading to a "twee, cotton-candy, sci-fi groaner."

The narrative centers on Klara, an outdated model B1 AI, who is eventually purchased by a teenager named Josie (Maria Tharia) for her mother, Chrissie (Amy Adams). The film attempts to explore themes of artificial intelligence, love, and humanity, but the execution is deemed by reviewers to be heavy-handed and obvious.

Ortega's Klara is characterized as an irksome AI who offers daily paeans to the sun, a trait that reviewers found overly sentimental and "pesky." The film also introduces a cast of characters dealing with personal tragedies and societal pressures, including Josie's "lifted" status—a procedure for wealthy children that alters DNA for genius-level intellect, but leaves them as "joyless shells." Chrissie, Josie's mother, is portrayed as a bitter figure, and her dynamic with Klara is described as hostile.

Amy Adams's performance as Chrissie is singled out for being "hard to stomach," with the actress appearing to overexert herself to convey emotion. Natasha Lyonne appears as the manager of the AI store, and Rachel House plays the housekeeper Melania, who fears technological replacement. Tharia's portrayal of Josie is seen as a "teenage downer" whose "youthful angst" manifests as know-it-all behavior, failing to elicit sympathy.

The visual aesthetic of "Klara and the Sun" has also drawn criticism, with descriptions of the world being "ugly" and characters behaving in a style that blends elements from "Beetlejuice" and "The Rocky Horror Picture Show." The film's setting is described as overly bright and "jaundiced," failing to be artistically compelling or clearly explained.

Ultimately, the film's central message—that the power of human love cannot be replicated in a lab—is seen as predictable and delivered without emotional resonance, leading to a "drag that begs—begs!—us to giggle at and cry over odious characters."