Shadow in the Cloud puts its viewer straight into its story as Maude Garrett (Chloë Grace Moretz) boards The Fool’s Errand, a B-17 Flying Fortress, in hopes of transporting a confidential package across war-torn waters. However, it doesn’t go to plan for her as she has to earn the trust of a hard-headed, stubborn flight crew that are unaware of this strange assignment.
It quickly makes for a claustrophobic, paranoia-tinged watch as Maude is accidentally confined in the turret section, with her only communication being through a radio link with her fellow crewmates as the men decipher argumentatively between themselves in an effort to uncover her real purpose. After a mysterious – put on trial – first half that sees Chloë carry the movie, a dangerous ‘gremlin’ makes a surprise entrance, pulling the plane to pieces and attacking any passengers that dare to stand in its way. It’s here where the film is flipped on its head, turning into a palm-sweating, gravity-defying, explosive actioner. With the concept of the gremlin having been introduced in the era-appropriate animated training video that opens the movie, this nuisance of legend has been implemented very well, as it clearly holds metaphors of its own.
Director Roseanne Liang delivers a fun, genre-mashing, plot-twisting war film that also honours the fighter pilot heroes of its era.
Shadow in the Cloud is on DVD and digital now.
