Parents' Guide to Klara and the Sun

Sweet and warm, director Taika Waititi's robot dramedy feels a bit like drinking a cup of sunshine. Klara's B-1 Artificial Friend model isn't infused with hyperintelligence and isn't wired to the internet (which no longer exists in the movie's world, as it apparently led to World War III): She learns from observations and information shared with her, like a human. This makes her like a child, viewing the world with wide-eyed wonder and innocence and longing for the very thing she's built for: a friend. And once she's been bought (or adopted), she aspires to be such a great friend that she isn't sent back. Klara isn't an AI threat; she's more like a humanistic pet.

In this film, AI isn't the worry—humans are. And in this case, it's specifically Chrissy, who is emotionally frozen to help protect herself from experiencing more grief. With only Josie to focus on, Chrissy puts all her maternal effort into making sure that her daughter has the absolute best life, no matter the cost. (Her decision to "lift" Josie seems meant to question parents who push their kids to achieve at high levels, pointing out that it's our differences and imperfections that make us lovable and human.) Despite Klara's bright, optimistic outlook, the movie's situations are quite dark—and fans of the source novel may be surprised by how Waititi paints over the book's serious, sad parts with a happy paintbrush. That choice, however, does make the story more palatable to families and casts Klara's outcome as a happy ending. And perhaps that's the joy of living in cheery Klara's perspective: Isn't it better to see the good in your situation, rather than wallowing in the bad?