Let’s Just Say She’s One Eccentric Android

By the Editorial Team · Friday, October 23, 2026

Taika Waititi’s film adaptation of Kazuo Ishiguro’s novel “Klara and the Sun” follows an android named Klara who observes human behavior in a post-World War III future, with notable changes that highlight emotional and whimsical aspects. While the movie raises questions about consciousness and humanity, critics note its sentimental tone diverges from the novel’s more philosophical approach, resulting in an uneven but visually distinctive experience.

Taika Waititi’s adaptation of Kazuo Ishiguro’s 2021 novel “Klara and the Sun” presents a futuristic narrative centered on an android named Klara who observes and interprets human behavior. The film, scripted by Waititi and Dashi Waller, diverges in notable ways from the source material, emphasizing emotional elements through a whimsical lens that some critics find inconsistent with the novel’s contemplative tone.

Set in a future marked by the aftermath of World War III—and the subsequent removal of the internet—the story unfolds in an indeterminate location that combines visual cues reminiscent of Tokyo and Chicago, although the film was shot in Waititi’s native New Zealand. Klara (played by Jenna Ortega), a store-bought robot, exhibits a peculiar habit of standing on one leg which baffles her fellow androids in the Friend Store, where she awaits purchase by her eventual owner. The store scenes include a stylized window display set to Lesley Gore’s “Sunshine, Lollipops and Rainbows,” illustrating the film’s bright, at times saccharine, aesthetic.

Klara is acquired by Josie (Mia Tharia), a chronically ill adolescent living on a remote, wheat-filled farm, who has undergone genetic enhancements referred to as being “lifted.” Josie’s condition, along with her social circle—peers characterized by a seeming ’80s downtown art scene sensibility—play a significant role in the narrative’s exploration of intelligence and human nature. Josie’s mother, Chrissy (Amy Adams), an interior decorator self-described as a “spatial guidance” specialist, demonstrates persistent skepticism toward Klara, including a moment where she attempts to drown the respirator-free android, a sequence noted for its rare humor in an otherwise earnest film.

Thematically, the movie probes questions about humanity’s self-importance and the nature of consciousness, introducing new elements such as a robot scarecrow (Jesse Griffin) absent from Ishiguro’s original text. However, critics observe that Waititi’s penchant for sentimentality contrasts with the more reserved philosophical treatment in the source novel. This tonal shift stands in contrast to earlier cinematic approaches to similar material, such as Steven Spielberg’s 2001 film “A.I. Artificial Intelligence,” which engaged with the subject matter in a darker, more somber manner.

The film’s visual style incorporates vivid colors and asymmetric costume and hair designs with clear influences from Tim Burton, contributing to an overall offbeat atmosphere. While the narrative introduces intriguing questions about technology and human emotion, some find the execution uneven, with an overly sweet presentation that tempers the story’s more complex and unsettling implications.

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