Summary

• Shadow in the Cloud blends action, horror, & social commentary in an epic story filled with impressive aerial combat.
• At the end of Shadow in the Cloud, Maude Garrett takes center stage, saves the day, and battles both Japanese planes and a gremlin.
• The climax sees Maude fighting the gremlin to save her newborn baby, emerging victorious.

Shadow in the Cloud is an action-horror hybrid that combines a twisty plot and social commentary with elements of a creature feature and a grisly World War II adventure. The end result plays out like a film-length version of an episode of The Twilight Zone, but with a whole lot more aerial combat and monster-punching. At the center of it all is Chloë Grace Moretz as Flight Officer Maude Garrett, the character who all but single-handedly saves the day during the rip-roaring, action-packed climax.

Directed by Roseanne Liang from a script she wrote with Max Landis, Shadow in the Cloud begins in 1943, at an Allied airbase in Auckland, New Zealand. There, Maude boards a B-17 bomber called "The Fool's Errand," along with a package she tells the crew contains confidential material. Despite his suspicions, the aircraft's captain, John Reeves (Callan Mulvey), allows her to stay onboard but orders her to sit in the ball turret during takeoff. After handing off her package to the only friendly crewman, Walter Quaid (Taylor John Smith), Maude settles into the turret and is forced to listen to the other crew members as they make sexist comments about her over the radio.

Updated by Jordan Iacobucci on May 14, 2024: Four years after its release, Shadow in the Cloud remains a topic of discussion, thanks in part to several memes that have circulated regarding the film. One particularly infamous moment comes in the movie's action-packed ending, leading many viewers to wonder what exactly happened in the climax of Shadow in the Cloud and what it would have meant for any potential sequels, of which none have been announced.

Shadow In The Cloud's Death-Defying Ending, Explained

Maude spots a mysterious creature crawling on the bomber's exterior, along with a Japanese plane flying into their airspace. Unsurprisingly, the misogynistic crew members dismiss her claims and mock her for being hysterical -- save for Stu Beckell (Nick Robinson), a gunner who also spots the monster climbing on their plane. Before long, though, Maude and the others find themselves battling not only the Japanese but also a gremlin, the mythical creatures World War II pilots used to blame for any strange or bewildering problems they would encounter on their flights.

If that weren't enough, Shadow in the Cloud soon reveals the truth about Maude: She's American (not British, like she pretended at first), and is fleeing her abusive husband. On top of that, her package contains her newborn baby, which she had out of wedlock with Quaid. However, before Captain Reeves can turn the aircraft around, a pack of Japanese bombers shows up and the gremlin further damages the plane, attacks Quaid, and kidnaps his and Maude's child. Left with no real choice, Maude shoots the gremlin before climbing on the underside of the plane to rescue her baby.

Does Maude Save Her Baby In The Climax Of Shadow In The Cloud?

In the epic action movie's climax, Maude finds herself in a precarious position. After falling out of the aircraft, only to be miraculously propelled back onboard by an exploding Japanese plane, Maude finally manages to shoot the gremlin and seemingly kill it for good. With most of the crew now dead and Captain Reeves killed by Japanese gunfire, it's up to Maude to assist the plane's co-pilot Anton Williams (Beulah Koale) in landing as safely on the ground as possible and lead Anton, Quaid (who survived his tussle with the gremlin), and Beckell out before it explodes. The gremlin pops up yet again to try and steal Maude's baby after that, but she chases it down and kills it for good.

Shadow in the Cloud then ends on a moment of tranquility, with Maude breast-feeding her baby. This closing shot is a fitting capstone to the movie's feminist themes, as is the glimpse of the image of an overly sexualized woman on the side of "The Fool's Errand" being burnt away. Of course, this symbolic visual packs the punch that it does because of the film's climax, in which Maude's action are the key to saving not just herself, but the remaining men and her newborn. Even better, the credits include archival footage of the women who fought for the Allies in WWII as a way of saluting these real war heroes.

Movies To Watch If You Loved Shadow In The Cloud

Since Shadow in the Cloud isn't getting a sequel anytime soon, fans of the film must look elsewhere to find similar stories that evoke similar feelings. Thankfully, there are plenty of other films, some with familiar faces, which can fill the void that Shadow in the Cloud leaves behind.

The 5th Wave

For fans of Chloe Grace Moretz's acting in Shadow in the Cloud, The 5th Wave is a terrific option for the next movie night. The 5th Wave is an epic dystopian movie that adapts Rick Yancey's book of the same name. The film is set in a world on the brink of total destruction as humanity desperately struggles to find any hope of survival against the alien threat that has besieged the planet on numerous occasions. As the alien invaders gear up for a fifth, and what will be final, assault against humanity, a young girl named Cassie (Moretz) struggles to track down her missing brother.

Overlord

Viewers who enjoyed the horror aspects of Shadow in the Cloud will certainly like a film that leans deeper into the genre. Overlord is a terrifying zombie movie set in an alternate retelling of World War II. Overlord depicts the fight of several soldiers as they face a horde of putrid zombies after being dropped behind enemy lines during D-Day. Like Shadow in the Cloud, Overlord has some fun with alternative history, inserting fictional creatures into world events to make for a fun, if not particularly historically accurate, action film.

Doom: Annihilation

Doom: Annihilation is another adaptation of the Doom video game series after the critically panned 2005 film starring Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson. Released in 2019, Annihilation reboots the franchise with a new story about a group of marines who travel to the Martian moon of Phobos, where they are faced with a frightful discovery: a horde of demons has overtaken their research facility. Trapped with no alternative but to fight, the Marines band together to fight the demons in true Doom fashion. This film is perfect for viewers who enjoyed the high-stakes action of Shadow in the Cloud's third act. The two films may be intrinsically different, but they share an intense flair for the dramatic that will keep audiences entertained from the very beginning to the very end.

Shadow in the Cloud is a compelling yet often forgotten piece of historical fiction laced with elements of the sci-fi genre. While not entirely original in premise, the film is a terrific pastime, and may open the door to other similar movies as well.