"Waititi cleverly uses his quirky aesthetic and sense of humour to deliver a light-hearted film with a strong message about the beauty of humanity"

Adapted from the eponymous novel by British-Japanese writer Kazuo Ishiguro, Klara and the Sun explores human connections in a distant future where relationships are difficult to navigate and people still seem to care too much about status.

Directed by Taika Waititi, Klara and the Sun follows Klara, an older-generation AF (Artificial Friend), who is chosen by a teenage girl for her quirky behaviour.

As an AF, Klara gets to learn about life through her human friend, Josie. 

Josie is special: she has undergone a medical procedure to make her more gifted and improve her future prospects. However, like any other teenager her age, she still struggles to form genuine connections, with the exception of Rick, a boy who lives near her house and enjoys building mechanical objects.

Klara, whose robotic model was discontinued for being labelled too emotional, becomes deeply attached to Josie. 

As she spends time with Josie and Rick and observes the world around her, she begins to question the meaning of life, what love is and what it means, and whether it is an essential part of what brings happiness to humans.

In a recent interview during the London Film Festival, Waititi described Klara and the Sun as a modern E.T. Although the two films are stylistically very different, I agree with the New Zealand director. 

Rather than an extraterrestrial being, the film follows an artificial intelligence exploring life and trying to understand what it means to live through human experiences and connections.

Waititi proves well suited to capture the essence of Ishiguro’s book. The story has little to do with villainising AI or modern technology; instead, it reminds the audience that there is something quintessentially human that nothing can ever truly replicate: emotional connection.

Klara and the Sun is an exploration of human emotions, from grief and love to friendship and jealousy.

It is as if a kaleidoscope of feelings is placed before the audience, reminding us that emotions and connections are our superpower and should be experienced, explored and never taken for granted.

As in Jojo Rabbit, Waititi cleverly uses his quirky aesthetic and sense of humour to deliver a light-hearted film with a strong message about the beauty of humanity. The humour is sharp, filled with subtle sarcasm, and helps reinforce the film’s central ideas. Seen through Klara’s innocent, almost childlike perspective, human behaviour often appears absurd, particularly when she observes the dysfunctional relationships around her. 

This creates plenty of opportunities for comic relief without undermining the more poignant aspects of the story.

The ensemble cast fully understands the film’s dynamic. 

Jenna Ortega embodies Klara’s innocence and love for life, committing wholeheartedly to the character. Through her facial expressions and body language, she transforms herself to bring Klara to life, delivering a performance that lends authenticity to the story and allows the audience to become fully immersed in it.

Amy Adams, Natasha Lyonne, Aran Murphy and Mia Tharia complement Ortega’s performance, each fully embracing the film’s tone.

Klara and the Sun never becomes overly solemn, but its message remains clear: what makes humans special is their capacity to love and form meaningful connections. Through Klara’s eyes, Waititi reminds us that perhaps the most extraordinary thing about being human is not our intelligence or our achievements, but our ability to feel deeply and connect with one another. And it is precisely this ability that we should never take for granted.