Review -- Shadow in the Cloud

   

There have not been too many recent World War II movies showcasing strong female characters or the role of women in this crucial conflict. Some that come to mind from recent decades are Shining Through, Charlotte Gray and Black Book. A thrill ride from start to finish, this Roseanne Liang actioner gives audiences a scrappy and resourceful protagonist, along with an unusual and vicious antagonist. Unapologetically and delightfully feminist from start to finish, it combines fantasy and historical elements, making for a clever and suspenseful viewing experience.

Pilot Maude Garrett (Chloë Grace Moretz) boards a bomber airplane with top secret documents in tow. Ending up in the plane's ball turret due to the all-male crew's unabashed sexism, Maude eventually sees an enemy plane and soon afterwards sees another threat, a creature on the wing of the plane. Working from an unenviable position, Maude has to find a way to warn the misogynistic crew and deal with the danger herself...

First, those awe-inspiring shots. We get to see much of the story from Maude's viewpoint -- the turret on the bottom of the plane -- which is simultaneously gorgeous and disorienting. The shot in which the character is forced to get to and grab her top secret bag from the gremlin while her plane and another plane are engaged in a round of bombing is spectacular and one of the most unique sequences of the past decade, as is the one with the plane blast. The action is generally relentless, with characters being thrown in peril left and right, making the setting that much more distinctive; action movies that take place in one location are a rarity. Mahuia Bridgman-Cooper's electronic score adds a sinister dimension to the dynamic narrative and is one of the most haunting scores in years. The movie feels like a rich graphic novel with its shot composition and fantastical elements. Much like 1984's Streets of Fire and 2014's It Follows — two works different from one another and different from Shadow, mind you -- it has an ambiguous, unknowable feel to it when it comes to its era and context. I also loved the end credits montage, a wonderful homage to women's work in World War II set to Kate Bush's "Hounds of Love" no less... a bonus if you needed one. 

As far as the cast goes, I had never seen Moretz in an action movie -- I am one of the rare people that missed Kick-Ass and had only seen her in The 5th Wave -- but here the actor is a force of nature. I loved the desexualization of her character, right down to the casual breastfeeding sequence near the end. On par with Sigourney Weaver's Ripley, her Maude is smart and tough; her 'You have no idea how far I'll go!" cry is far from a metaphor. Nick Robinson is also good as tail gunner Stu Beckell, whose gullibility and sexism is only matched by his inexperience, while Taylor John Smith is quietly reliable as dorsal gunner Walter Quaid.

Shadow in the Cloud is one of those movies that will please fans of numerous genres. If you are looking for a kick-ass — had to do it — heroine, see it. If you are looking for an unusual story with twists, see it. If you cannot decide between action and fantasy, see this movie. It is a gem that was largely missed, having come out in the thick of the pandemic, but one that deserves much more attention.

9/10