Movie of the Week
‘Klara and the Sun’ tests AI friendship
A new sci-fi drama follows a strange Artificial Friend, a robot that may be more human than expected, writes JASON BANNIER.
Lifelike AI companions wait to be chosen by families in the near-future world of Klara and the Sun, a new dystopian sci-fi drama. Klara is one of these Artificial Friends, and she hopes to find a home where she can help the family that chooses her.
The movie is screening in Ster-Kinekor cinemas and Nu Metro theatres from today (23 October 2026).
Klara forms an immediate bond with Josie, a teenager whose family brings the AI companion into their home. The household carries deep grief, while Josie’s relationship with her mother has become strained.
Klara enters a complicated world with innocent curiosity and fierce loyalty. Her effort to help Josie and her mother reconnect puts an AI Friend at the centre of an intimate story about grief, devotion and the need to be understood.
Jenna Ortega (Wednesday) stars as Klara. Mia Tharia plays Josie alongside Amy Adams (Arrival) as Josie’s mother.
Taika Waititi, who won an Oscar for best adapted screenplay for Jojo Rabbit, directs Klara and the Sun. He shares screenplay credit with Dahvi Waller. The story is based on the bestselling 2021 novel by Nobel Prize-winning author Kazuo Ishiguro, who serves as an executive producer.
The film explores a different side of AI, one in which a machine becomes part of a family struggling with grief. As Klara tries to understand the people around her, her loyalty and willingness to help challenge the boundaries between artificial companionship and human connection.
* Watch the trailer for ‘Klara and the Sun’ here.
