PG-13 | 1h 56m | Comedy, Dystopia | 2026
“Klara and the Sun” is based on the novel of the same name by author Kazuo Ishiguro. The novel is a delicate, haunting allegory about godlessness; the movie is a dark comedy set in a dystopian future, in which World War III occurred a while ago.
On the bright side, the internet has been outlawed. On the dark side, children’s brains can be medically tampered with and genetically engineered to improve academic ability (the euphemism is “lifting”).
Pick Me!
Jenna Ortega stars as Klara, a B-1, first generation, solar-powered AF (Artificial Friend) who “worries” nonstop that if no one buys her, she’ll get turned into scrap metal. She believes—as if androids can believe—that the sun which recharges her batteries, is a deity. She prays to the sun—as if robots can pray—that she’ll be chosen by a human before it’s too late.
Klara’s been verbally programmed by the store owner (Natasha Lyonne) to use barely-noticeable, come-hither “razzle-dazzle” antics (smiles and winks) in her storefront display window to attract customers. She manages catch a teenager’s attention. Josie (Mia Tharia) wants her.
Josie’s mom Chrissie (Amy Adams) is disdainful. Why spend this much money on outdated tech when you can get a late-model B-3 robot with Bluetooth across the street? Not to mention, Klara seems to have a wiring glitch that often makes her stand in yoga tree pose.
But Josie is adamant. Klara’s the one for her. Given how fetchingly Jenna Ortega manages to play Klara, it’s easy to see why.
Josie and her interior designer mom Chrissie live in a country house surrounded by wheat fields. Klara quickly finds out that the “lifting” procedure Josie underwent has resulted in serious health ramifications—she’s dying.
Although she is designed specifically for companionship, play, and late-night conversations with awkward, anxious teenagers, Klara naturally believes the sun can cure Josie. She tries to facilitate that “healing process.”
Klara must contend with jealous, territorial housekeeper Melania (Rachel House). Along with Chrissie, she threatens to box Klara back up and return her to the factory. There’s also Josie’s self-involved boyfriend Rick (Oscar-winner Cillian Murphy’s son Aran), who’s feeling insecure about not having been “lifted.”
Godless AI Future
Add “Klara and the Sun” to the growing list of sci-fi robot movies that try to convince us that bots have feelings. “They’re sentient beings!” “AI will replace humans!” No they aren’t, and no it won’t. But they’re sure gonna try. While this basically bland and unconvincing bond between a dying human teen and her twee robot has its cute moments, it’s basically a superficial, saccharine snooze-fest.
In another filmmaker’s hands, it could have been an instant classic, but the bits of “Klara” that do work are because Jenna Ortega is captivating. She sells Klara’s sweet, earnest, wide-eyed naivete with the exceptional cuteness we all knew was hiding under her break-out role as the dark and dour Wednesday Adams. You root for her between yawns. “Aw! I hope you get everything you want, little Jenna-bot!”
Though it’s a comedy, genuinely funny moments are rare. The one truly hilarious moment is a party scene in which a bunch of snooty, upper-crust “lifted” kids bully Klara and Josie, featuring a memorably unhinged performance by Harry Greenwood.
Director Waititi seems to want to sugarcoat the ominous Elon Musk-approved (and significantly contributed to) android future currently bearing down on us, in which children undergo genetic enhancements for super-smartness.
There should be an icy chill to Waititi’s vision. It’s there a little bit, in the scene where Amy Adams’s Chrissie finally bonds with Klara after realizing she can imitate people’s mannerisms and speech patterns. She has her play Mia, so she can have mother-daughter heart-to-heart (heart-to-Artificial Emotional Intelligence, that is) talks.
Our growing dependence on AI companionship is disturbing, but per Taoism’s wisdom all hope isn’t lost: “When things reach the extreme, they will turn around.”
Life is paradox. As we move forward, we paradoxically also move backwards. And all this talk and creeping acceptance of godlessness can’t get rid of Newton’s third law of motion: “For every action force, there is an equal and opposite reaction force.”
Humans are going to continue to mess around with bots and find out. We’ve been hearing that it’s a Skynet future, and we’re all gonna get terminated, since 1984. And we’ve been hearing it’s a “Nineteen Eighty-Four” future, since 1949. How many hints does it take?
‘Klara and the Sun’
Director: Taika Waititi
Starring: Jenna Ortega, Amy Adams, Mia Tharia, Steve Buscemi, Natasha Lyonne.
MPAA Rating: P-13
Running Time: 1 hour, 56 minutes
Release Date: Oct. 9, 2026
Rating: 2 1/2 stars out of 5
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