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Lloyd Owen, Ryan Robbins, Warren Christie

Officially, Apollo 17, launched December 17th, 1972 was the last manned mission to the moon. But a year later, in December of 1973, two American astronauts were sent on a secret mission to the moon fu... read more read more...nded by the US Department of Defense. What you are about to see is the actual footage which the astronauts captured on that mission. While NASA denies its authenticity, others say it's the real reason we've never gone back to the moon. -- (C) Official Site

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24% liked it

37,804 ratings

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25% liked it

65 critics

PG-13, 1 hr. 26 min.

Directed by: Gonzalo López-Gallego

Release Date: September 2, 2011

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DVD Release Date: December 27, 2011

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Flixster Reviews (3,236)

  • spielberg00
    April 15, 2012
    spielberg00
    It was in 1979 that the talented Mr. Ridley Scott struck cinematic gold with a science-fiction horror masterpiece. (If you are a living, breathing, human being, I'd expect you to know what film I'm referring to, so I won't bother to mention the title.) His message was in the ta... read moregline ("In space no one can hear you scream"), but it was more effective from watching the film. It would be downright plagiarism to use the same tagline as director Ridley Scott did in 1979, so the message of the movie is clear throughout: In space, no one can hear you scream. No one can help you, and if something happens, oh well. Even though there haven't been all too many horror films that take place in space, APOLLO 18 makes us feel as if we've been bombarded with that theme countless times. It seems so clichéd, and the use of the "found footage" technique doesn't help. This technique was used in other horror and science fiction films such as PARANORMAL ACTIVITY, THE LAST EXORCISM, [REC], and CLOVERFIELD to enhance the believability of the story and increase the level of fear and tension. It worked in those films quite effectively, but not in this one at all. Had this been a more psychological horror film about three men who got stuck on the moon, it probably would have worked great. When the obstacle in the plot is extra-terrestrial life, the laughing factor is enhanced for anyone over twelve years old.

    I have to give points to APOLLO 18 for being watchable, at the least. The story wasn't at all convincing; nor were the titles at the beginning informing us that this was truncated footage from thirty-seven years before, just found and leaked to the web. It even negates the entire story it conveyed in the end by giving us the official reports of the Apollo 18 mission. Somehow, there was a "so bad, it's good" type of entertainment that isn't usual for a film made as poorly and carelessly as this. That said, it was entertaining enough for its seventy-minute length, but the mistakes are so manifest that inadvertently works better as a comedy than a horror movie.

    READ MORE ABOUT THIS POOR RENDITION OF AN INTRIGUING TOPIC:
    http://themoviefreakblog.wordpress.com/2012/04/15/review-apollo-18
  • fb528166828
    February 5, 2012
    fb528166828
    Many films have tried to emulate the success of THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT, some more successfully than others, but few have failed on the same level as APOLLO 18. Transplanting the horror from the woods of Maryland to the moon of all places seems like an interesting idea on paper, ... read morebut the film is so desperate to maintain its level of documentary realism that it sacrifices all fundamentals of horror filmmaking, and instead teases audiences with a payoff that never really comes, aside from a few ineffective, hackneyed jump scares.

    Whether by design (BLAIR WITCH) or as a result of technical limitations (JAWS), often the unseen terror in movies is the most frightening, yet APOLLO 18â(TM)s creators take the â~less is moreâ(TM) concept entirely too far, leaving a film where the threat is so elusive that it becomes almost non-existent, and anytime anything interesting is allowed onscreen the found footage aesthetic is shoved down our throat with such force that one canâ(TM)t help but disengage completely. Possibly budget constraints played a part, but obscuring the scares with egregious shaky-cam and digital over-exposure of the footage achieves nothing except undoubtedly frustrating viewers. Add in the laughably clichà (C)d dialogue delivered by woefully amateur performers, and APOLLO 18 is disappointing on more or less every level. BLAIR WITCHâ(TM)s lightning in a bottle success has been in some way replicated by films willing to adapt the formula, such as CLOVERFIELD and the recent CHRONICLE, not by merely taking the same tone and narrative beats to a new location, even one as full of potential as the lunar surface.

    tinribs27.wordpress.com
  • FiLmCrAzY
    February 5, 2012
    FiLmCrAzY
    This movie certainly had its moments and did make me jump in places but overall it is a slow and boring movie for majority of the time. the camera work isvery make compared to that of the blair witch project and i didnt care for it much then either!
  • xXGiNoBiLiPRXx
    January 24, 2012
    xXGiNoBiLiPRXx
    There's a reason we've never gone back to the moon.

    Not that good. This film could have been like an episode of the X-files yet it was more dull than that. It had potential but really the film failed miserably in scaring the viewers or even explaining in detail certain things. ... read moreBig fail.

    Decades-old found footage from NASA's abandoned Apollo 18 mission, where two American astronauts were sent on a secret expedition, reveals the reason the U.S. has never returned to the moon.

    In December, 1973, the crew of the previously-cancelled Apollo 18 mission is informed that the mission is a go, though it has now been deemed a top secret Department of Defense mission. Commander Nathan Walker (Lloyd Owen), Lieutenant Colonel John Grey (Ryan Robbins) and Captain Benjamin Anderson (Warren Christie) are launched towards the Moon to place detectors to alert the United States of any impending ICBM attacks from the USSR.

    Grey remains in orbit aboard the Freedom Command/Service module while Walker and Anderson land on the moon in the lunar module Liberty. While planting one of the detectors, the pair take samples of moon rocks. While attempting to sleep, the pair hear noises outside and a camera captures a small rock moving nearby. Houston (Andrew Airlie's voice) claims the noises are interference from the ICBM detectors. Anderson finds a rock sample on the floor of Liberty despite having secured the samples. During further exploration they discover footprints that lead them to a Soviet LK lander nearby, finding it functional but blood-stained. Anderson follows tracks leading into a dark crater and finds a dead cosmonaut. Walker queries Houston about the Soviet presence but is told only to continue with the mission.

    The following day the pair find that the flag they had planted is missing. Their mission complete, the crew prepares to leave the Moon but the launch is aborted when Liberty suffers violent shaking. An inspection reveals extensive damage to Liberty and non-human tracks that Walker cites as evidence of extraterrestrial life. Walker feels something moving inside his spacesuit and helmet and is horrified as a spider-like creature crawls across the inside of his helmet. Walker disappears from view and Anderson finds him unconscious outside of Liberty. Walker later denies the events. A wound is discovered on Walker's chest; Anderson feels, and removes, a Moon rock embedded within him. The pair find themselves unable to contact Houston or Grey due to increased levels of interference from an unknown source.

    Anderson speculates that the true intention of the ICBM warning devices is to monitor the aliens. The pair also increasingly wonder if the devices are the source of the interference; Houston had assured them that this was not so. Walker shows signs of a developing infection around his wound and he becomes increasingly paranoid. The mission cameras capture the rock samples moving around in the interior of Liberty, revealing that the aliens are the moon rocks (or indistinguishable from the real rocks). Increasingly delusional, Walker attempts to destroy the cameras within Liberty but accidentally damages the system controls, causing Liberty to depressurize. Realizing the Soviet LK is their only source of oxygen, the pair travel to the LK lander in their lunar rover. Along the way, Walker attempts to run away, believing he should not leave the Moon because of the risk of spreading the infection to Earth. Anderson crashes as he attempts to stop Walker.

    Anderson awakens and tracks Walker, finding him at the crater where they found the cosmonaut. Walker is pulled into the crater by the creatures. Anderson gives chase, using his strobe light to illuminate the area. The rocks start to sprout their spider-like legs, causing Anderson to flee to the Soviet LK. Using its radio he makes contact with USSR Mission Control who connect him to the United States Department of Defense. The deputy secretary of the department informs Anderson that they will not allow him to return to Earth, admitting they are aware of the situation and fear he is also infected. Anderson manages to contact Grey and they make arrangements for Anderson to return to Freedom. Anderson prepares the lander for launch but it is attacked by Walker. Before Walker can breach the vehicle, he is swarmed by the creatures, which crawl into his helmet and cause his blood to splatter onto the lander.

    Anderson launches the LK lander successfully with the intent of arriving near Freedom and entering it via spacewalk. Grey is informed that Anderson is infected. Grey is ordered to abort Anderson's rescue or communication will be ceased, rendering him unable to return to Earth. Inside the lander, the reduced gravity causes small rocks within the Soviet craft to float. Anderson realizes with horror that some of the rocks are actually alien creatures. Anderson is attacked and infected by the creatures, preventing him from controlling the vehicle, leaving it headed toward Freedom. Grey yells to Anderson that he is coming in too fast. The space footage ends abruptly, implying a collision.

    The footage cuts to before the pilots' mission, showing them having a barbecue with friends and family. The "official" fate of the astronauts is given, describing them as having died in various accidents that left their bodies unrecoverable. An epilogue explains that many of the rock samples returned from the previous Apollo missions are unaccounted for.
  • skactopus
    January 13, 2012
    skactopus
    While running with an intriguing concept, Gonzalo López-Gallego's Apollo 18 ends up as a major disappointment.

    75 minutes is all this film needs to wrap up a mystery on the moon, but when nothing highly amusing takes place, the story falls flat on its face. What this fi

    ... read morelm has going for it is the sense of mystery and uncertainty; however, the story never takes full advantage of that, as the characters are boring and the thrills fail to peak at anywhere throughout the picture.

    The "lost footage" documentary style of the film gets old quick. The shakiness is very limited, which is a positive and while there is a sense of realism in the camera angles, the lack of clarity can be frustrating, especially when the paranormal creeps in.

    Warren Christie, Lloyd Owen, and Ryan Robbins do what they must. There really isn't much to note when it comes to their performances.

    By the time the ending of Apollo 18 rolls around, there is still an unfulfilled feeling left in the air. Not a good thing.
  • bbcfloridabound
    January 9, 2012
    bbcfloridabound
    Far from what I expected looking at the previews. Supposed to be based on declassified notes from NASA. A secret space mission to put tracking devices on the moon to detect Russian missile launches, while setting up the tracking units a Russian space craft is discovered with no c... read morerew. The alien life is discovered ion the form of rocks that imbed themselves in humans. Overall a movie that is sure to put you to sleep. 3 stars
  • TheDudeLebowski65
    January 5, 2012
    TheDudeLebowski65
    Derivative found footage horror film, Apollo 18 doesn't try to do anything new with the genre, but manages to still be entertaining at times. For what it is, it's a decent film, not great by any means, but not as bad as what everyone has claimed it to be. The film is predictable... read more and like I previously stated doesn't do anything, new, original or refreshing. The film explorers the same old ideas of previous films in this tired out genre of horror films. I liked the film, but it could have been much better than this. The problem with Apollo 18 is that it follows the same trend as other found footage horror films. Having said that, the film is predictable and doesn't do anything that will grab your attention. The idea of the film is interesting and entertaining, but there's something clearly missing to make this a great horror film. Overall I didn't hate the film, I thought it was decent considering that it's an old concept for a horror film. The film has some tense moments, but it's clear that the filmmakers were struggling to find something that would work. The best they could come with was mixing a bit of the body horror genre with the found footage and sci fi horror genres of film. I stated this was body horror because one of the astronauts become infected with a parasite, and mutilates his body. Apollo 18 is a decent little horror film. The film has minor suspense and terror, and as a whole it's not as bad as what everyone has said it was. I liked the film, and despite its predictability, it's a mindless found footage sci fi horror flick that you need to shut your mind off to enjoy.
  • PedroPauloA
    December 22, 2011
    PedroPauloA
    There's a reason we've never gone back to the moon.

    quite fun

    This is actually a pretty good movie. The concept and Idea is very out there and may seem a little goofy, but Lopez-Gallego does an awesome job in building up the suspense and avoides hitting the c... read moreritical level of stupidity that this movie was bound to hit.

    Apparently Apollo 18 was a secret mission that was never reported until now. This movie follows the events and what happened out there.

    It is done in a fun, Paranormal Activity, Cloverfield, way where the super 8 camera is free hand and that just adds to the atmosphere of suspense. The movie is fun, but can be a little too stupid. The acting in it is great. Personally I was dissapointed because when I first saw the trailer I expected much more. I was also dissapointed in the lack of horror this movie had, I wasn't scared at alll. But overall it was just fine.

    Ben : " There is something out there"
  • LorenzoVonMatterhorn
    December 14, 2011
    LorenzoVonMatterhorn
    "There's a reason we've never gone back to the moon."

    Decades-old found footage from NASA's abandoned Apollo 18 mission, where two American astronauts were sent on a secret expedition, reveals the reason the U.S. has never returned to the moon.

    ... read moree="Century Schoolbook">REVIEW
    The screenplay from Apollo 18 is something like an hybrid of Alien, Sunshine and Moon, even though with all the fantastic elements reduced in order to increment the realism from the story. That might be the main reason why the film did not leave me very satisfied, and it even bored me a little bit during its most "exciting" moments. The trailers of Apollo 18 promised a horror film, but the truth is that it lacks of the necessary impact in order to provoke an emotional or even visceral impact. Even the "scares" feel forced in the documentary context (not to mention the difficulty of accepting the fact that the characters keep filming when any sensible person would have dropped the camera in front of the first sign of danger). Another problem is that the performances feel bland and not very credible. It was undoubtedly a good decision to pick unknown faces not to ruin the "realistic" premise, but I think they should have picked actors with more talent and charisma.

    Having said all that, I have to give Apollo 18 a slight recommendation because of its solid recreation of the lunar mission. The version of the Moon presented by the movie might not be totally faithful from the scientific point of view, but it is more than enough for us to accept the premise and visually transport us to the satellite we had only seen in brief clips from the NASA and in sci-fi movies which had only showed various stones on a sandy field. I know that I should not be giving a movie even a slight recommendation only because of its special effects, but they are so good in this movie that I am going to make an exception, also stating the fact that the movie achieves a few good moments of tension during the first half. However, I regret the fact that the visual talent from this film could not adorn a better (and more terrifying) story.
  • kiriyamakazou
    December 5, 2011
    kiriyamakazou
    I love fake documentary movies. I hate the film. It's painfully bad. First of all, you never believe this is real footage. The actors seem as though they are acting. The film tries so hard to look authentic, it just ends up looking crappy. It also doesn't help that every camera i... read mores static, and we never see anything. I couldn't even understand what was going on at certain points. There was lots of cameras falling down, some shouting, and many static shots. There was no tension built, and when something was sort of revealed, it was just an anticlimax. This was honestly hard to sit through, and I can never imagine watching it again. I watched this just a few hours ago, and I can't remember a thing about it, because nothing happened.

View All Apollo 18 Reviews

Critic Reviews

Roger Moore
September 7, 2011
Roger Moore, Orlando Sentinel

The cheap frights don't deliver, the performers bring no pathos and the gimmick behind "Apollo 18″ flat out does not work. Full Review

David Edelstein
September 6, 2011
David Edelstein, New York Magazine

It's 80 minutes of dead air. Full Review

Peter Howell
September 5, 2011
Peter Howell, Toronto Star

Boredom sets in long before the last muted shriek. And who cares about the astros? We never get to know them anyway. Full Review

Joel Brown
September 5, 2011
Joel Brown, Boston Globe

For most horror fans it will be kind of a snooze. Full Review

Eric D. Snider
September 4, 2011
Eric D. Snider, Film.com

The source of the creepy events, when it's finally revealed, is profoundly dull, like a forgettable episode of The X-Files or Fringe. Full Review

Mark Olsen
September 3, 2011
Mark Olsen, Los Angeles Times

The film takes a startlingly long time to rev up, and even at less than 90 minutes feels thin and at moments like it is playing for time. Full Review

Mike Hale
September 3, 2011
Mike Hale, New York Times

Accomplishes something the world wasn't really crying out for: it recreates the tedium of watching the later Apollo missions. Full Review

Joe Leydon
September 3, 2011
Joe Leydon, Variety

Despite stretches of skillfully sustained suspense, Apollo 18 ultimately comes across as little more than a modestly clever stunt. Full Review

Nick Schager
September 2, 2011
Nick Schager, Village Voice

Reconfirms that most entries in the "found-footage" horror subgenre should remain lost. Full Review

Keith Staskiewicz
September 2, 2011
Keith Staskiewicz, Entertainment Weekly

Apollo 18 fails to stay with you because, like the cratered satellite on which it's set, it has no atmosphere. Full Review

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