Shadow in the Cloud (2020), directed by Roseanne Liang

Set in 1943, during the war in the Pacific, Flight Officer Maude Garrett is tough, competent and smart, but that cuts little ice with a misogynistic crew that disdains and denigrates her at every turn. She is transporting a top secret and confidential package from Auckland, New Zealand, but it is never quite clear to where or with what aim – something about Samoa. A blessedly short 79 minutes, the film swings wildly between action, horror and cartoon, its absurd plot bolstered by a credible tension. Chloe Grace Moretz pants her way through the action, kicking ass as only she knows how - daintily. The film contends that the female of the species is deadlier than the male, especially when she is protecting something precious. This trite trope undermines Maude’s position as heroine in her own right, but it is notable that the only male survivors are those with some vestige of decency and compassion. It was filmed in New Zealand, which provides some lovely scenery although it makes little sense to the plot.