In 2021, Kazuo Ishiguro published his 8th novel, Klara and the Sun. The novel centered on the titular Klara, an Artificial Friend (AF for short) who longs to be a companion to a human child. After asking the sun for guidance, she’s chosen by a young girl named Josie, and they quickly become friends. Over time, however, Josie’s health declines, causing her bond with Klara to gradually fall apart. Hoping to heal her ailing friend, Klara once again turns to the sun, pleading for its aid to save Josie’s life.
Klara and the Sun is a deeply moving sci-fi novel that explores profound themes of humanity, friendship, faith, and the real meaning of love. It also became my favorite book of all time. Since a friend recommended this book to me in 2022, I have read and revisited it three times. I couldn’t help but be captivated by Ishiguro’s writing style, Klara’s characterization, the emotionally harrowing ending, and the heartfelt meditations on love and friendship. In 2020, a year before the novel was published, Sony, through their 3000 Pictures banner, and producer David Heyman (Gravity, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Barbie) obtained the film rights. 10 days after the novel was published in 2021, it was announced that prolific television writer Davhi Waller (Desperate Housewives, Mad Men, Halt and Catch Fire) would write the screenplay. After nearly two years of speculation, Taika Waititi had entered talks to direct and was confirmed 8 months later.
I am a huge fan of Taika Waititiʼs work. Ever since I saw What We Do in the Shadows (which he co-wrote, co-directed, and co-starred in with Jemaine Clement), I knew something about him just worked for me. I then went back and watched Boy, which was a delight. As if these movies weren’t enough, Waititi’s 3-movie run of Hunt for the Wilderpeople, Thor: Ragnarok, and Jojo Rabbit is the kind of run filmmakers wish they could have. This was Waititi operating at the absolute peak of his creative powers.
His television work—most notably Flight of the Conchords, The Mandalorian, Reservation Dogs, and the series adaptation of What We Do in the Shadows—is every bit as stellar as his run of films throughout the 2010s. However, in the early 2020s, Waititi’s standing with critics, film fans, and casual audiences changed. In 2022, he directed and co-wrote Thor: Love and Thunder, a box office success that nonetheless drew mixed critical reception and significant backlash from fans frustrated by its excessive humor, characterization, and some of its visual effects. 2023’s Next Goal Wins similarly missed the mark with critics and audiences, going from a highly anticipated awards-season favorite to another box-office disappointment for Disney during its 100th anniversary.
I, for one, never thought either film deserved the negative reputation they’ve garnered over the years. Although Love and Thunder doesn’t quite reach the heights of Ragnarok—which remains one of the top two MCU films in my book—it still delivers plenty of fantastic performances, action, style, and pure fun. Next Goal Wins‘ backlash made even less sense to me, especially when it came to people’s unfounded (and flat-out made-up) accusations of the film being transphobic. While not Waititi at his best, it’s not unreasonable to say Love and Thunder and Next Goal Wins don’t hold a candle to his 2010s run. But for the last few years, I’ve hoped Klara and the Sun would be the movie to put Waititi back in the good graces of his once-adoring public. My unreasonable expectations for this film were inevitable, given that one of my favorite filmmakers was adapting my all-time favorite book. I’ll be the first to admit that my anticipation for this film was so immense that my hype levels rivaled those I felt for blockbusters like Star Wars: The Force Awakens or Avengers: Infinity War. And now it’s finally here.
To get straight to it, Klara and the Sun isn’t a bad movie. I don’t believe this film warranted such harsh critical backlash, nor did it deserve the dumbfounding release strategy Sony subjected it to. Nothing here justifies Sony holding the movie hostage for so long and being so afraid to release and market it. That being said, as an adaptation, the film has issues, and it isn’t Taika Waititi’s triumphant return to his days as the Oscar-winning auteur who gave us Hunt for the Wilderpeople, Thor: Ragnarok, and Jojo Rabbit. While the film is overall quite good, it is not without its flaws. On the surface, that doesn’t seem like a bad thing. But remember, unreasonable expectations can always come back to bite you in the butt.
Your enjoyment of Klara and the Sun ultimately hinges on two main factors: your personal connection to the source material and whether Taika Waititi’s filmmaking style resonates with you. The film keeps the basic setup: Klara longs for companionship and eventually finds Josie. Klara and Josie’s friendship remains the emotional center of the story, as does Klara’s learning of the true meaning of love. The film and the book diverge primarily in tone. Taika Waititi pivots away from the source material’s contemplative, somber, and often heartbreaking atmosphere and instead injects his signature humor, making the narrative quirkier than melancholic. Klara’s characterization also differs significantly in the film. In the book, Klara is more observant and quiet as she navigates her new friendship with Josie. In the film, Klara (Jenna Ortega) is more childish, wide-eyed, and energetic. Other key differences include making Josie (Mia Tharia) more consistently empathetic toward Klara, minimizing Rick’s (Aran Murphy) role, changing the ending, and removing Josie’s father (who was to be played by Simon Baker). Waititi doesn’t make the story unrecognizable, as some critics claim, but Klara and the Sun is not a 1-to-1 adaptation.
Visually, Waititi’s direction is solid. His strengths behind the camera come from his undeniable energy and knack for visual storytelling. Klara’s world, at least visually, is very close to how I imagined it when I read the book. The film bursts with incredible warmth, brightness, and color whenever the moment demands it. The camera’s fluid motion throughout pivotal scenes is undeniably impressive, a testament to Waititi’s enduring talent as a visual storyteller.
One of my favorite elements of the film is the first-person shots whenever Klara processes her surroundings. The use of light and bright colors to portray Klara’s love for Josie and her devotion to the sun makes the film feel warm and comfortable. Klara and the Sun shines brightest when it keeps its focus firmly on the bond between Klara and Josie; at its heart, it’s a love story—though certainly not a romantic one. It’s somewhat disheartening that so many of their interactions are confined to a montage. Even so, Klara and Josie persist as the heart and soul of both the book and the film.
The movie may lose people with its humor. While Klara and the Sun isn’t necessarily a purely depressing read, its tone doesn’t seem to align with Taika Waititi’s signature style. On the page, Steven Spielberg and Tim Burton (back when he actually cared) would’ve been more obvious choices to bring Klara to the screen. Waititi talked a big game about how he toned down his humor for this film and how it was gonna be his most serious to date. I took this as Waititi doing for Klara what he did for Jojo Rabbit. Sadly, that’s not the case here. Despite what the marketing materials and Taika Waititi’s pre-release interviews implied, Klara and the Sun leans much further into comedy than anticipated. A lot of the humor stems from Klara’s inability to contain her personality and her frequent social faux pas. For the most part, the humor lands effectively, largely thanks to the actors’ performances. However, as the film descends into darker territory during the third act, you can’t help but wish those emotional undertones had been present throughout.
Michael Giacchino’s lovely score beautifully complements the proceedings. His score masterfully breathes life into Klara’s world, blending sweeping orchestral arrangements with evocative synthesized sounds. With his third score of the year—following Spider-Man: Brand New Day and The End of Oak Street—Giacchino further cements his reputation as the premier film composer today, a distinction he is poised to maintain with his upcoming work on Ray Gunn and as one of nine composers collaborating on Tony Gilroy’s Behemoth!
The performances are where the movie shines brightest. Jenna Ortega may not have been who I pictured in the role of Klara, but her undeniable talents help her play the role with ease. It’s quite clear that Klara is intended to be more neurodivergent-coded than the book portrays, and Ortega captures that essence without rendering Klara insufferable. A character who is emotionally stunted, sheltered, and constantly navigating social cues in a way that comes across as impulsive or intense feels unmistakably autism-coded to me. Jenna Ortega is undeniably charming as Klara, although her more juvenile traits—such as her steadfast devotion to the Sun—might lead some viewers to categorize her as the classic manic pixie dream girl. Or, in the case of this film, perhaps a manic pixie dream robot girl. The film survives on the strength of Ortega’s talents.
Mia Tharia is also great as Josie. Even though the character is softened compared to her book counterpart, the chemistry between Tharia and Ortega remains undeniably intense and deeply moving, even in moments where she pulls away from Klara. Amy Adams’ portrayal of Josie’s mother, Chrissie, is hauntingly tragic and occasionally unnerving. Natasha Lyonne does the best with her limited role as Store Manager as does Steve Buscemi as Capaldi. Rachel House is a surprising standout as Melania, frequently landing the film’s sharpest, funniest lines.
While Taika Waititi may have held back on the book’s more somber and emotionally taxing themes, his direction, combined with stellar performances and Michael Giacchino’s score, still makes for a compelling film, even if it falls short of the source material. Klara and the Sun may not be the life-changing masterpiece I was unreasonably hoping it would be, but it still overcomes its flaws. It can be cheesy, predictable, and a bit much at times, but there’s a loud and earnest beating heart underneath that is as infectious as it is effective. At its core, Klara and the Sun is a heartfelt ode to neurodivergence and while it can go a bit overboard with sentiment, it mostly succeeds. Hopefully whatever Taika Waititi makes next will remind people of what a great filmmaker he can be. Will he ever top Hunt for the Wilderpeople, Thor: Ragnarok, and Jojo Rabbit? Maybe, maybe not. But if Jenna Ortega wants to come with him on his next project, count me in.
