Early critical reception following the October 15 BFI London Film Festival premiere has driven the Tomatometer into the high 20s, with reviewers faulting Taika Waititi’s adaptation for diluting Kazuo Ishiguro’s novel through inconsistent tone, excessive whimsy, and failure to capture its emotional depth. Jenna Ortega’s lead performance as the Artificial Friend Klara receives consistent praise as a bright spot amid otherwise negative notices that mark this as Waititi’s lowest-rated directorial effort to date. The wide theatrical release on October 23 will likely add reviews before the aggregator stabilizes, though the current consensus suggests limited upside potential absent a dramatic shift in later coverage.