Release Date – 23rd October 2026, Cert – 12, Run-time – 1 hour 56 minutes, Director – Taika Waititi
Robot friend Klara (Jenna Ortega) is bought as a companion for sick teenager Josie (Mia Tharia), however despite her mother’s (Amy Adams) protests Klara may heal family rifts and grief.
Just six years ago Taika Waititi was an Oscar winner (Best Adapted Screenplay for Jojo Rabbit), he had multiple films lined up (a live-action Akira remake, a Star Wars film and even a short-in-development stop-motion project about Michael Jackson’s monkey) and seemed to be one of the most in-demand directors working today from both studios and audiences.
Yet, his last two films – the serviceable Next Goal Wins and soon-to-be-released Klara And The Sun (which finished filming in early 2024) – have spent months each sat on studio shelves, as if there’s little clue as to what to do with them.
Premiering at this year’s London Film Festival, just over a week before release, there seemed to be little faith from the studio in Waititi’s latest. But, his brand is very much still intact. Perhaps the best way to describe this story of friendship between sick teenager Josie (Mia Tharia) and robot, or ‘Artificial Friend’, Klara (Jenna Ortega, giving a good performance that stands out from her familiar horror tones) is simply nice.
His usual sweet, somewhat whimsical, tone is very much in place; to the frustration of some fans of Kazuo Ishiguro’s original novel. However, fans of the director, who co-writes here with Dahvi Waller, should be pleased, although those who don’t get on with his comedy likely won’t be swayed. Particularly by an ending that tries to hammer in an emotional point that never quite feels strong or clear enough.
Yet, the sweetness as Klara tries to explore the world around her, and do the best she can to help Josie, can prove to be winning. Laughs emerge through her misunderstandings and observations of the world, powering ahead despite slight glitches that the newer, more attractive B3 Artificial Friend models have beyond fixed.
Klara’s having to prove herself at both friendship and ability, having been chosen specifically by Josie after being seen in the shop window. Josie’s mother (Amy Adams), grieving her oldest daughter takes against Klara and her glitches. Her character can sometimes seem to be somewhat cliched, and her developments not always landing a full effect, but there’s still warmth in the relationship between the two friends – and humour in some of their mimicking as Klara replicates voices.
Hard-hitting and profound this is not, but as a whimsical comedy there’s a good number of laughs to be found here, particularly when assisted by the supporting characters (frequent Waititi collaborator Rachel House once again makes a welcome appearance). Why it took so long to release I can’t really tell. There are no signs of a troubled production or tonal issues or inconsistencies in the final film. It’s simply a sweet, entertaining, if not emotionally affecting, story in this seemingly much lighter take, as is Waititi’s way when deviating from source novels, on Klara And The Sun.
While a hammered attempt at sentimentality may misfire at the end, for the most part Klara And The Sun is a sweet and amusing look at friendship and curiosity in the world and emotions, even if those sometimes feel light amongst the various points brought up.
