Shadow in the Cloud Parent Guide

On a foggy night at the Auckland Air Base in 1943, flight officer Maude Garrett (Chloë Grace Moretz) boards The Fool’s Errand, a B-17 flying fortress delivering critical components to Samoa. Even with specific orders from the Major, Maude faces an uphill struggle to get the appallingly sexist air crew to accept her presence on their plane. But her package is of critical importance, and Maude it more than capable of dealing with anything to ensure its security, even if that means having to sit in the exposed belly turret under the plane.

With her unique vantage point, Maude soon sees two things that make the trip more perilous. First are the shadows in the night sky that indicate Japanese enemy aircraft. Second is a shape on the wing, as if something were alive out there…and worst of all, the crew won’t believe her on either count. Trapped in a claustrophobic turret as things fall apart around her, Maude will have to be creative if she wants to survive this flight.

I will readily admit that I had dangerously low expectations for this movie, but I was immediately intrigued by the surprisingly compelling synth soundtrack. I know synth isn’t for everyone, but when was the last time you heard it in a WWII movie? Most of them stick with sweeping and dramatic orchestral scores, which does make sense – but this isn’t just another WWII movie. It’s way weirder and more interesting than that. Think On the Basis of Sex crossed with that old Twilight Zone episode, Nightmare at 20,000 Feet. How often do you get that mash-up in a film?

I was further impressed by Chloë Grace Moretz (who I’ve always been fond of for films like Greta) and who manages to take one of the silliest premises I’ve ever heard of and give it some substance. That’s no mean feat. Even talented actors can get buried in goofy scripts, but Chloë Grace Moretz makes this one shine almost in spite of itself.

None of that is to say that this is a good family film, because it absolutely is not. There are buckets of profanity and the violence is quite gruesome. But if you can sit through that, this is a fun action thriller which is willing to hit above its weight at more serious topics like misogyny and racism – all while constantly reminding me of a Twilight Zone episode. Now, I realize I’m probably the odd man out here, but that’s a real home run for me. Your mileage may vary.