Kevin C. Wong

Shadow in the Cloud (2020) [+]

Shadow in the Cloud is a WWII bomber horror/action movie.

New Zealand, 1943. Maude (Chloë Grace Moretz) talks her way onto a midnight-departing bomber. She has mission orders and a secret package that must not be opened. During take-off they put her in the empty belly turret where she spends about 2/3rds of the movie talking with the crew, who become suspicious of who she is, and sees a man-sized bat/rat gremlin slowly tearing the ship apart. The bomber is also attacked by Japanese fighters and Maude ends up making her way underneath the flying bomber in order to retrieve her package from the grasps of the gremlin.

The first part of the movie is mystery because from the opening credits you have a pretty good idea that she wrote up her mission orders. So what is in the package and why must it not be opened? Meanwhile there's lots of cloud cover and it's dark with moonlight so what is that creature out there, or is she imagining it? Meanwhile she's in the ball turret trying to talk her way through with the crew. First she wants out then she has to block their attempts to get her out and there's a gremlin menacing her.

It's a pretty well done film and engrossing. I watched it one sitting. Seems fairly small budget but the internals of the bomber are just fine and there is enough darkness that the gremlin and Japanese fighter CGI bears up well. And actually even when we see the full gremlin for quite a bit it's fairly good CGI.

Overall an excellent film and Moretz is so good and believable as a tough pilot who has her emotional side.