Y’all remember that Gremlins segment from the original Twilight Zone show, the 1983 movie, and countless other parodies and nods that have come after it? That’s basically what Shadow In The Clouds is, the big difference here is that it’s set on B-17 Flying Fortress during WWII. And instead of a nervous passenger, our lead is flight officer Maude Garrett (Chloë Grace Moretz), who is the only woman on the plane, to the surprise of all the men, and she is on a secret mission that requires her keeping a package safe and secure, the contents of which remain unknown to everyone on board.
As you’d expect, the men on board are not the most welcoming, nor the most accommodating. the package is put away in a safe space while she is quickly placed in the ball turret where she is to remain alone for the rest of the flight. As the boys try to make sense of her sudden presence, Maude finds herself listening in to a relentless barrage of sexist insults and gaslighting. The situation takes a turn when she notices, you guessed it, a shadow in the cloud, something moving on the right wing of the plane. A revelation made worse when it appears to be a creature, and no one believes her when she sounds the alarm.
Before I get into this, I suppose I should mention that the film’s co-writer is Max Landis, who has been accused of sexual assault by multiple women. I remember reading reports about how during pre-production of this film, Liang re-wrote much of the screenplay. Obviously, unless you’ve read the two versions of the script, you wouldn’t know how much of Landis’ original writing is left here. However, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t hear his authorial voice in numerous moments, and this is coming from someone who has enjoyed a number of the films he’s been involved with in the past. If his involvement here is enough to turn you away, that’s valid, but I would hate to see a filmmaker who is a woman of color suffer the consequences of the actions of one bad guy. But it’s ultimately your choice, and I don’t think there’s a wrong answer here.
Anyways, a good chunk of the film is spent with only Moretz on screen, stuck in this cramped space, and director and co-writer, Roseanne Liang, does a good job at making you feel that claustrophobia. It’s bad enough that it’s such a tight space, but the plane itself is scrappy as all hell, and then you add the creature on top of that, which makes for quite the tense experience. And Moretz shows that she can easily carry this on her own, with all the vulnerability and ferociousness that the story requires.
The male crew is made up of Captain Reeves (Callan Mulvey), Taggart (Byron Coll), Dorn (Benedict Wall), Finch (Joe Witkowski), Williams (Beulah Koale), Quaid (Taylor John Smith), and Beckell (Nick Robinson). The latter three are the only ones who seem to show some respect and professionalism towards Maude while everyone else mocks or condescends. characterization is pretty flat for these guys, especially since most of the film you only hear their voices, and in some moments, it’s hard to distinguish who is who. The film gets away with it only because Moretz is such a strong lead.
The film’s approach to telling a feminist story can often come across as outdated, but I can’t help but feel it’s portrayal of the daily, relentless indignities of being a women in a space taken up mostly by men to be pretty accurate. I think the film does become more irreverent as it goes along. Let’s just say there isn’t really a moment where the guys learn their big lesson. This isn’t like Mulan or anything like that. This is a genre flick first and foremost, and it doesn’t ask to be taken too seriously.
Shadow In The Cloud is not necessarily a great movie, I find it pretty hollow, the payoff with the package is underwhelming, and its emotional beats are rather half-hearted. However, there’s fun to be had. As derivative as its conceit might be, you can tell the filmmakers are having a good time exploring all the ways they could wring out some tension, and the few action beats are exciting. It is definitely nowhere near as good as the similarly pulpy Overlord, but for the most part, I think the film delivers, and it does it while having a sly sense of humor about itself. It’s pure pulp, and one that is well put together, considering its clear budget limitations. I think Roseanne Liang, who up until now has mostly worked on comedic projects, has what it takes to make a space for herself in the genre realm, and I look forward to whatever she does next. Hopefully, it won’t have to deal with the baggage this film did.
Shadow In The Cloud is now out in select theaters and VOD platforms.