Chloe Grace Moretz stars in this kick ass WW2 themed action thriller/horror film and proves she can carry a movie alone practically since a good chunk of it is claustrophobically focused directly on her stuck in the bottom turret of a World War Two Bomber turret that evokes memories of Dan O’Bannon’s short scripted segment in Heavy Metal though the threat here is not a malevolent intelligence in the form of a green orb or a crew of undead soldiers. It is something that is more psychological, sociological and cryptozoological all at the same time and she manages to carry the viewer faithfully through all of it and still be her own action hero too. This New Zealand genre gem also evokes 1980s genre films that featured New Wave or technological soundtracks whether it be Michael Mann’s The Keep, Ridley Scott’s American theatrical cut of Legend or even cult films like Night of the Comet. That is not to say that it is anything like the films referenced above, but it certainly captures a bit of that feel complete with a rocking song by Kate Bush.
No surprise the film was co-scripted by Max Landis, who is one of the most interesting screenwriters working in his generation of Hollywood currently. The film was co-written and directed by Roseanne Liang, who does a great job with a low budget. Though not the best work I have seen from WETA Digital, they still managed to deliver a great value in special effects that still makes them equal to if not at times excelling over the wizards at Industrial Light and Magic. It is neither too long nor too short. Just the right length for a popcorn streaming flick and Moretz looks at home in her World War Two bomber gear while the movie makes a point to honor our female veterans that helped the allies defeat the greatest evil the Twentieth Century has ever known. Have fun and check it out. Shadow In The Cloud Is available to rent and to own on streaming services now.
(C) Copyright 2021 By Mark A. Rivera
All Rights Reserved.
