‘Klara and the Sun’ Review: Jenna Ortega’s Defective Robot Movie Struggles With Human Emotions

Taika Waititi's adaptation of Kazuo Ishiguro's 2021 science fiction novel, "Klara and the Sun," is an emotionally draining experience that struggles to convey genuine human emotions. The film stars Jenna Ortega as Klara, a robot designed as a companion who becomes lonely and terrified of being recycled. Klara's robotic friends are designed with the capacity to feel so rejected and unloved that they invent a makeshift religion to give their lives meaning.

The film's setting is a sci-fi utopia where humans have been modified to increase their brainpower, leading to an absurdity that briefly makes the audience question the narrative. However, Klara's story is ultimately about her trying to save Josie (Mia Tharia), a modified teenager who is sick. Klara runs on solar power, so she prays to the sun for help and guidance, only to find that her efforts result in twee and contrived moments.

While Mia Tharia's performance as Josie's mother is noteworthy, the film's overwrought melodrama and contrived plot overshadow any genuine emotional impact. Taika Waititi, known for his masterful films like "Hunt for the Wilderpeople" and the divisive "Jojo Rabbit," fails to capture the complexity of the society he presents. Klara remains too naive to understand her world, and Waititi doesn't fully appreciate the implications of his own story.

In the end, "Klara and the Sun" is a manipulative film that fails to make the audience truly weep for the reasons it intends. The film's attempt to explore the impact of technology on human experience and the superficiality of human interactions falls short, leaving the audience with a sense of melancholy but no real resolution.