There was a time when Taika Waititi seemed incapable of missing. WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS, HUNT FOR THE WILDERPEOPLE, THOR: RAGNAROK and JOJO RABBIT showed a filmmaker who could balance absurd comedy with genuine emotional depth. Now KLARA AND THE SUN (2026), his adaptation of Kazuo Ishiguro’s novel starring Jenna Ortega and Amy Adams, has debuted with just 20% on Rotten Tomatoes, marking the lowest score of his directing career. The criticism is particularly striking given the material. Ishiguro’s novel explores loneliness, artificial intelligence, love and what makes us human. Several critics argue that Waititi’s trademark quirky humour and sentimentality undermine the story’s quieter philosophical questions. After the divisive reception to THOR: LOVE AND THUNDER and NEXT GOAL WINS, this is another difficult reception for a filmmaker whose earlier work once felt so distinctive. The question now is whether Waititi can recapture the balance of humour and humanity that made his best films resonate so strongly.