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Chloe Grace Moretz

Shadow in the Cloud: In-Flight Entertainment

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It fairly safe to say that 2020 has been… memorable.

From the pandemic to marches for social justice, the year that was has provided enough drama to last a lifetime. As such, there’s no question that it deserved an appropriate cinematic send-off.  As the 1st film of 2021, it’s possible that Shadow in the Cloud may have managed to be that film.

But in this case, that’s not a bad thing.

Directed and co-written by Roseanne Liang, Shadow in the Cloud tells the story of Flight Officer Maude Garrett (Chloe Grace Moretz), a female pilot in WWII tasked with travelling with top-secret documents on a B-17 Flying Fortress. Though ordered to make the trip by a superior officer, Garrett’s presence is seen as unwelcome by the male crew and she is left to endure the flight in the lower bowels of the plane. Angered by their sexist behaviour but committed to her mission, Garrett accepts her position and takes her seat. However, when she notices a mythological evil on the outside of the plane, Garrett must attempt to convince her male counterparts of the ensuing danger before it’s too late.

A feminist echo of the classic Twilight Zone episode, ‘Nightmare at 20,000 ft’, Shadow in the Cloud is a wild mish-mash of styles that may be disjointed and over-the-top but still manages to entertain. Though the film starts out slowly, Liang’s story of a young military woman trying to protect her top-secret package is an absolute blast by the end, celebrating womanhood and feminine strength with enthusiasm. As Garrett, star Moretz has much of the film placed upon her shoulders yet offers the right amount of courage and power to bring the character to life.

So, why the comparison to 2020? There are actually a couple of reasons. 

To start, Shadow takes its conversations surrounding social justice seriously. While the film is far from subtle, the message of female empowerment and equality lands effectively as Garrett steps up against the men who seek to hold her down. Left in the bottom turret of the gunship, Garrett is positioned below the male officers both literally and figuratively. Struggling to survive in a world of (extremely) toxic masculinity, Garrett sits patiently the belly of the plane and waits for her agonizing experience to be over. However, as things begin to spin out of control, there’s a feminine fire in her eyes that’s unleashed as she fights her way through the aircraft’s quickly disappearing fuselage in order to keep her mysterious package safe. In this way, like 2020 itself, Shadow wears its heart for justice on its sleeve by highlighting the lack of respect that women experience in the midst of a male-dominated society. 

Further, just like the year that was, what starts out as relatively non-descript, quickly devolves into utter mayhem. Half monster madness, half 40s fighter film, Shadow is a wild ride that embraces its crazy circumstances with absolute glee. In the midst of its serious social commentary, this is a film that leans into the pulp and bizarre so much that you can’t help but enjoy yourself along the way. Echoing films like Tremors or Snakes on a Plane, Shadow often relishes its absurdity as much as it invites you to join them for the ride. In fact, the more the film leans into the insanity, the more entertaining it becomes. (For example, without giving away any spoilers, it could possibly be the first film that you’ll witness a person explodes into a plane…) After a year that featured alien videos, murder hornets (remember those?) and more, Shadow’s joyful penchant for creature carnage fits very nicely into 2020’s own utter lunacy.

Admittedly, if taken too seriously, Shadow in the Cloud has glaring flaws that could kill the viewer’s satisfaction of its exploits. However, the film embraces its reckless abandon with such enthusiasm that it’s hard not to strap in yourself and enjoy the flight. Fun and fervent, there’s little question that Shadow in the Cloud is far from a perfect film.

But it may just be the perfect film to close out 2020.

Shadow in the Cloud is available on VOD on January 1st, 2021.

TIFF20: Shadow in the Cloud

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Set during WWII, Shadow in the Cloud is an action-packed horror movie that stars Chloe Grace Moretz as Maude Garrett, a flight officer who embarks on a secret mission to deliver a confidential package. As a woman alone in a group of men on a rickety aircraft, Garrett finds herself forced to take the ride in the worst seat possible, the bottom glass turret located on the belly of the plane. Soon after, strange things begin to happen on this aircraft and Garrett’s position on the plane forces her to come face to face with a mysterious, unexpected passenger. 

Set in the 1940s, this was a time filled with sexism and toxic masculinity. Though she’s an incredibly accomplished and well-trained soldier, Garrett remains at the very bottom of the social ladder due to her gender. Symbolic of the social hierarchy of men and women of the 1940s, Garrett is forced by the men to stay down in the glass turret located in the bottom of the aircraft. Meanwhile, as she languishes in the most terrifying and cramped area of the ship, the egotistical—and less talented—men undeservingly get to relax in the comfort of the cabin area. Even so, Garrett bites her tongue and, as the film progresses, she helps fight off enemy fighter jets and, yes, even gremlins, in order to save the same men who were belittling her initially. (Incidentally, it’s worth noting that the ‘gremlin’ was an imaginary scapegoat in the 1940s for pilots to blame if they ever made a mistake while flying.) In doing so, Garrett’s bravery symbolically takes her from the bottom of the plane to its highest position, the pilot’s cockpit. 

One of the most unexpected and spuriously badass scenes of the movie comes as Garrett is confronted with one of the gremlins. As Garrett battles the creature with her bare hands, with the supposedly brave men watching from the sidelines. In this moment, the gremlin becomes more than a beast to fight as it also represents the stupidity and sexist attitudes of the male pilots. In doing so, Cloud suggests once again that, despite the social inequalities set into place by our culture, women continue to show strength and perseverance.

Writer/director Roseanne Liang does a great job in utilizing Moretz in the lead role. Personally, I think that Shadow in the Cloud is an excellent example of how directors can create strong female roles in other action movies. As Garrett, star Chloe Grace Moretz oozes confidence as a strong, independent women in this film. Often times, I have found that female-driven action films and tv series include moments that focus too much on addressing its agenda through poor writing. (I’m looking at you, CW…) In doing so, while well meaning, these moments try too hard to prove why women are equal to or better than men. By directing attention to the issue in this way, this style of writing can undermine their agenda by emphasizing differences over gender equality, despite their well-meaning intent. In doing so, these moments can unintentionally create a gender gap where women are required to ‘step it up’. However, in Shadow in the Cloud, Moretz isn’t trying to prove anything to the sexist men or constantly trying to validate why she is strong like them. She simply is. Through her actions, perseverance, flight abilities, combat skills, and ingenuity, Garrett embodies female strength and courage in a way that inspires. 

Shadow in the Cloud is an adventure that will thrill you and surprise with its twists and turns. Personally, I never expected to see Chloe Grace Moretz in such a serious and empowering role as she sets an example for all female action heroes going forward. I highly recommend it.

Shadow in the Cloud is currently streaming at Bell Digital Cinema at the Toronto International Film Festival.

The Miseducation of Cameron Post: Outside, Looking In

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“I’m not being a good friend if I ignore your sin.”

Written and directed by Desiree Akhavan, The Miseducation of Cameron Post takes place in the early 90s and follows the titular character (Chloe Grace Moretz) after she is sent to a remote treatment center for those dealing with same-sex attraction. Entitled God’s Promise, the center is run by the strict Dr. Lydia Marsh (Jennifer Ehle) and her brother, Reverend Rick (John Gallagher Jr) who seek to ‘help’ the teens be free from their ‘immoral thoughts’. While she is being subjected to questionable gay conversion therapies, Cameron bonds with her fellow residents as they pretend to go along with the process while waiting to be released.

Based on the book of the same name by Emily M. Danforth, Miseducation’s strongest asset is its cast, especially Moretz, who continues to prove herself as one of Hollywood’s strongest young talents. With much of the film riding on her shoulders—she’s central in almost every scene—Moretz plays Cameron with a mix of confidence and confusion as she seeks to navigate her new surroundings. Strong supporting performances from her peer group of Jane Fonda (Sasha Lane) and Adam Red Eagle (Forrest Goodluck) bring stability to the film by providing Cameron the home and security that she so desperately lacks.

The most terrifying aspect of Miseducation is how ordinary it feels. Although Dr. Marsh is portrayed as incredibly severe (even refusing to refer to Cameron as ‘Cam’ for fear it might cause more gender confusion), God’s Promise does not appear to be a house of horrors on the surface. The facilities are well kept and the residents have freedom to hike outdoors. Reverend Rick proves himself to be earnest and appears to genuinely care about the teens in his care. However, with each ‘counselling session’, the audience becomes increasingly aware of the emotional abuse that is taking place by attempting to convince the children of their sinfulness and need to change their lives. (As they are told repeatedly, “what lies under their iceberg” determines how they think.) In other words, at God’s Promise, righteousness is the fuel of wrath and grace is offered only through condescension. It’s a scathing—but frequently true—review of the church’s history of attempting to separate ‘the sinner and the sin’, a practice that ends up stealing a piece of their soul in the process. (Incidentally, as a pastor, I can’t help but be broken by the ignorance and arrogance inherent to this sort of spiritual abuse.)

In Miseducation, love is conditional. Whether it’s the love of God or from their families, these characters have felt the harsh reality of unacceptance and have only experience grace as the carrot on a stick. Somewhat ironically, genuine community is only felt when their brokenness becomes what also draws them together. Fear and oppression becomes shared pain and opens the door for healing. When abandoned by the church, the residents of God’s Promise need to look to one another to find hope.

And the harshest reality is that it isn’t entirely fictional.

 

The Miseducation of Cameron Post is in theaters now.