Written by Max Landis and Roseanne Liang
Directed by Roseanne Liang
Starring Chloë Grace Moretz, Nick Robinson, Beulah Koale and Taylor John Smith 
MPAA rating: R for language throughout, sexual references and violence
Running time: 1 hour and 33 minutes

by Victoria Potenza

When we think about World War Two and the narratives that typically surround that time, we do not always think about the narratives and stories that soldiers would tell to explain away some of the real life horrors they were facing. When one thinks of “Gremlins”, the term usually conjures up images of Gizmo, Stripe and other creatures from the 1980s genre classic. However, Gremlins have origins in WW2 folklore. With so much that could go wrong on these planes, it makes sense that pilots and their crew members would create stories about the small, mischievous creatures responsible for wrecking their ships. This setup, with a female pilot narrative, is an oddly perfect combination for a WW2 genre flick.

Shadow in the Cloud stars Chloë Grace Moretz as Lieutenant Maude Garrett who hops aboard a B-17 craft during WW2. She is carrying a package that is classified as top secret and refuses to tell the other crew members what is aboard. Initially, it seems the toughest part of her mission is fighting the crude sexist comments that the crew are making about her. However, things take a sinister turn when Garrett sees something in the clouds. While the rest of the crew tries to write it off as female hysteria, they begin to worry that there could be enemy ships in their territory, or something even more terrifying that they cannot explain. 

There are so many aspects of this film that really work. One of the most impressive feats of the film is that it manages to stay engaging while mainly being stuck in a small part of the plane with Moretz. For the majority of the film, the viewer is either watching her side of the action or hearing what is going on with the men through the plane’s radio communication. The film clearly saves its budget for the creature effects and bigger action sequences. The creatures themselves are clearly CG, which is fine, although practical effects are usually preferred in my book. However, the creatures were overall fun-looking and seemed to have a fair bit of personality in their featured scenes. 

Much like the secret package, the film is mainly carried by the wonderful performances of Moretz. As more is revealed about her character and the secrets which she is hiding, it is hard not to appreciate all that she is doing in the film. Although, at first, some of the initial reveals felt disappointing, it ultimately helps to make Lieutenant Garrett a more flushed out and interesting character. She gets a depth that is not always present for male action stars and that makes the film work even more. She also has to play against several male characters who we do not see for the majority of the film, something that is not always the easiest to pull off, but with its amazing director and writer Roseanne Liang, they find a fantastic way to keep the tensions high without moving away from the main character. 

Much like this year's HBO show Lovecraft Country, Shadow in the Cloud allows for the female star to be the action hero that we historically did not allow women to be. Moretz gets to play a dream role in which she takes on the characteristics of some classic and iconic male led roles; she gets the high tension Twilight Zone William Shatner moment, the Tom Cruise “free solo” rock climbing scene and the Liam Neason wolf fighting moment. With the 80s vibes that this WW2 film gives off, she also gets to be the quintessential 80s action star. It has a pulpy grindhouse feel that works perfectly for that time and for the story. 

Unfortunately, the other shadow in the cloud of this film is the presence of writer Max Landis who has been accused of sexual abuse by several women. While his name is still present in the end credits of the film, several articles indicate that there were quite a few rewrites once Landis left, and the cast and crew have tried to distance themselves as much as possible. While it is still tough to grapple with, the overall success of this film as a feminist story does make one believe that they were able to rise from the ashes of the initial writer’s shame. 

There is a nuance to the film that clearly is written by women. The lack of respect the men have for her is clear in the way that they do not use her title, but insist she uses theirs. When they find out she is going by her maiden name, they immediately start using her married name and the moments where they would rather call her hysterical than believe there is an actual problem on-board the ship. The abysmal way the men talk about her when they think she cannot hear them is, at times, difficult to listen to. However, it ultimately makes it known how easy it is for men to degrade women, while pointing out how difficult it is to maintain composure when you are a woman trying to demand a degree of respect. All of this has to be due to the incredible writing of Roseanne Liang. It feels especially poignant at a time when men refuse to call the first lady by her title doctor. 

Finally, the film has an 80s, Adam Wingard vibe to it in the overall neon red and green colors utilized throughout it. It also has an incredible score by Mahuia Bridgman-Cooper, who’s work on the cult favorite Housebound is fitting for this genre flick. One can hope that this film receives a similar cult status. It is fun, while taking the sexism seriously and gives the leading lady a ton of room to stand her ground and show up her male counterparts. Shadow in the Cloud is a great start to the 2021 movie season. 

Shadow in The Cloud is available on demand January 1, 2021.