Klaus
When Jesper (Jason Schwartzman) distinguishes himself as the postal academy's worst student, he is stationed on a frozen island above the Arctic Circle, where the feuding locals hardly exchange words let alone letters. Jesper is about to give up when he finds an ally in local teacher Alva (Rashida Jones), and discovers Klaus (Oscar® winner J.K. Simmons), a mysterious carpenter who lives alone in a cabin full of handmade toys. These unlikely friendships return laughter to Smeerensburg, forging a new legacy of generous neighbors, magical lore and stockings hung by the chimney with care. An animated Christmas comedy directed by Despicable Me co-creator Sergio Pablos, KLAUS co-stars Rashida Jones, Jason Schwartzman and JK Simmons.
Nominated for 1 Oscar. 12 wins & 26 nominations
Plot Structure
Story beats plotted across runtime
Narrative Arc
Emotional journey through the story's key moments
Story Circle
Blueprint 15-beat structure
Arcplot Score Breakdown
Weighted: Precision (70%) + Arc (15%) + Theme (15%)
Klaus (2019) showcases strategically placed story structure, characteristic of Sergio Pablos's storytelling approach. This structural analysis examines how the film's 15-point plot structure maps to proven narrative frameworks across 1 hour and 37 minutes. With an Arcplot score of 5.1, the film takes an unconventional approach to traditional narrative frameworks.
Characters
Cast & narrative archetypes
Jesper Johansson
Klaus
Alva
Mrs. Krum
Mr. Ellingboe
Pumpkin
Main Cast & Characters
Jesper Johansson
Played by Jason Schwartzman
A spoiled postal academy student banished to a frozen island town where he must deliver 6,000 letters to return home.
Klaus
Played by J.K. Simmons
A reclusive woodsman and toymaker living alone in the forest who becomes an unlikely partner in delivering gifts to children.
Alva
Played by Rashida Jones
A disillusioned teacher running a fishmonger shop in Smeerensburg who rediscovers her passion for education.
Mrs. Krum
Played by Joan Cusack
The matriarch of the Krum clan, perpetuating the feud with the Ellingboes that keeps Smeerensburg divided.
Mr. Ellingboe
Played by Will Sasso
The patriarch of the Ellingboe clan, locked in a bitter generational feud with the Krums.
Pumpkin
Played by Neda Margrethe Labba
A mute Sámi boy who becomes one of the first children to receive a toy from Klaus.
Structural Analysis
The Status Quo at 1 minutes (1% through the runtime) establishes Jesper Johansson, a spoiled postman cadet at the Royal Postal Academy, lounges lazily while his fellow cadets work diligently. His privileged, self-centered existence is established as he fails spectacularly at every task, caring only for his own comfort.. Structural examination shows that this early placement immediately immerses viewers in the story world.
The inciting incident occurs at 10 minutes when Jesper arrives in Smeerensburg and discovers a frozen, hostile town where two feuding clans - the Krums and Ellingboes - have been at war for generations. The townspeople are violent, miserable, and nobody sends letters. His comfortable life is shattered.. At 11% through the film, this Disruption aligns precisely with traditional story structure. This beat shifts the emotional landscape, launching the protagonist into the central conflict.
The First Threshold at 22 minutes marks the transition into Act II, occurring at 22% of the runtime. This shows the protagonist's commitment to Jesper convinces a reluctant Klaus to let him deliver toys to the town's children in exchange for letters. Their unlikely partnership begins - Jesper sees it purely as a scheme to meet his quota, but he's unknowingly stepping into a mission that will change everything., moving from reaction to action.
At 43 minutes, the Midpoint arrives at 44% of the runtime—arriving early, accelerating into Act IIb complications. Structural examination shows that this crucial beat The operation becomes a phenomenon - children from both clans play together, parents begin crossing enemy lines, and Alva reopens her school. Jesper realizes he's genuinely happy for the first time. This is a false victory: he's changed inside but hasn't admitted it, still planning to leave once he hits 6,000 letters., fundamentally raising what's at risk. The emotional intensity shifts, dividing the narrative into clear before-and-after phases.
The Collapse moment at 65 minutes (66% through) represents the emotional nadir. Here, The clan leaders expose Jesper's original selfish motivation to Klaus and the townspeople. Klaus feels utterly betrayed - he had opened his heart again only to learn he was being used. The workshop is attacked and burned. Jesper achieves his 6,000 letters but has lost everything meaningful., reveals the protagonist at their lowest point. This beat's placement in the final quarter sets up the climactic reversal.
The Second Threshold at 69 minutes initiates the final act resolution at 71% of the runtime. Jesper chooses to stay and fight for what he's built. He returns to Klaus, genuinely apologizes, and proposes they continue not for letters but because it's right. For the first time, Jesper acts selflessly. Klaus sees his sincerity and they reunite with a new understanding., demonstrating the transformation achieved throughout the journey.
Emotional Journey
Klaus's emotional architecture traces a deliberate progression across 15 carefully calibrated beats.
Narrative Framework
This structural analysis employs proven narrative structure principles that track dramatic progression. By mapping Klaus against these established plot points, we can identify how Sergio Pablos utilizes or subverts traditional narrative conventions. The plot point approach reveals not only adherence to structural principles but also creative choices that distinguish Klaus within the animation genre.
Comparative Analysis
Additional animation films include The Bad Guys, Puss in Boots and Violet Evergarden: Eternity and the Auto Memory Doll.
Plot Points by Act
Act I
SetupStatus Quo
Jesper Johansson, a spoiled postman cadet at the Royal Postal Academy, lounges lazily while his fellow cadets work diligently. His privileged, self-centered existence is established as he fails spectacularly at every task, caring only for his own comfort.
Theme
Jesper's father, the Postmaster General, tells him: "A true postman knows that a letter is a small package of goodness that can change someone's life." This foreshadows how delivering letters will transform both Jesper and the town of Smeerensburg through acts of giving.
Worldbuilding
We witness Jesper's pampered life at the academy and his father's frustration. His father, tired of his laziness, assigns him to Smeerensburg - the most miserable postal outpost - with an ultimatum: mail 6,000 letters in one year or be cut off financially.
Disruption
Jesper arrives in Smeerensburg and discovers a frozen, hostile town where two feuding clans - the Krums and Ellingboes - have been at war for generations. The townspeople are violent, miserable, and nobody sends letters. His comfortable life is shattered.
Resistance
Jesper struggles to survive in the hostile town, meeting the sardonic teacher Alva (who runs a fish shop because no children attend school) and discovering the mysterious, intimidating Klaus living alone in the woods surrounded by handmade toys.
Act II
ConfrontationFirst Threshold
Jesper convinces a reluctant Klaus to let him deliver toys to the town's children in exchange for letters. Their unlikely partnership begins - Jesper sees it purely as a scheme to meet his quota, but he's unknowingly stepping into a mission that will change everything.
Mirror World
We learn Klaus's tragic backstory through Alva - he was a toymaker whose wife Lydia died, leaving him isolated with thousands of toys meant for children they never had. Klaus represents what Jesper could become: someone whose grief led to withdrawal, but whose capacity for generosity remains dormant.
Premise
The toy delivery operation grows as children from both feuding clans write letters to Klaus. Jesper and Klaus deliver toys secretly at night, creating joy throughout the town. The "naughty or nice" concept emerges. Children begin behaving better, and the clan warfare starts to thaw.
Midpoint
The operation becomes a phenomenon - children from both clans play together, parents begin crossing enemy lines, and Alva reopens her school. Jesper realizes he's genuinely happy for the first time. This is a false victory: he's changed inside but hasn't admitted it, still planning to leave once he hits 6,000 letters.
Opposition
The clan leaders - Mrs. Krum and Mr. Ellingboe - realize the toy deliveries are ending their generations-long feud. They unite against Klaus and Jesper, plotting to destroy their operation. Meanwhile, Jesper's letter count approaches 6,000, forcing him to confront what he truly wants.
Collapse
The clan leaders expose Jesper's original selfish motivation to Klaus and the townspeople. Klaus feels utterly betrayed - he had opened his heart again only to learn he was being used. The workshop is attacked and burned. Jesper achieves his 6,000 letters but has lost everything meaningful.
Crisis
Jesper prepares to leave Smeerensburg, having technically succeeded but feeling empty. He sits alone, realizing his father's lesson about letters bringing goodness was true - but he corrupted it with selfishness. Klaus retreats into isolation, the town reverts to hostility.
Act III
ResolutionSecond Threshold
Jesper chooses to stay and fight for what he's built. He returns to Klaus, genuinely apologizes, and proposes they continue not for letters but because it's right. For the first time, Jesper acts selflessly. Klaus sees his sincerity and they reunite with a new understanding.
Synthesis
Jesper, Klaus, and Alva rally the townspeople to rebuild. The children stand up to their feuding parents. The delivery operation resumes bigger than ever, spreading beyond Smeerensburg. Jesper marries Alva and becomes Klaus's true friend and partner. Years pass showing their Christmas tradition growing.
Transformation
Years later, an elderly Jesper narrates as Klaus mysteriously vanishes one Christmas Eve, reunited with his beloved Lydia in the afterlife. Jesper, once a selfish boy who couldn't deliver a single letter, has become the guardian of Klaus's legacy - spreading joy through giving. The closing image mirrors the opening: where once Jesper lay idle, he now works tirelessly to bring happiness to others.