Horror films follow trends better than most other genres. When a definitive classic like Die Hard or John Wick hits action cinema, the resulting rip-offs tend to fade and fall apart. One profitable horror movie can change the medium. Found footage films became notable through the 80s and 90s, but the runaway success of Paranormal Activity let the trend dominate the 2010s. Apollo 18 imagines the concept playing out in a canceled lunar mission, with far less excitement than implied.
Space horror seems like a flawless formula. Everything beyond the atmosphere is inherently lethal to humans. The slightest mistake could kill the mission, and the unexplored void could hold endless threats. Even the equipment used to survive space compels a certain unease. Authentic space travel under current circumstances involves a lot of downtime. Most movies cut those details out, but Apollo 18 boldly depicts astronauts floating around doing nothing or reacting to strange noises for around fifty of its 86 minutes.
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What is Apollo 18 about?
In 1972, NASA concluded the Apollo 17 mission, still the most recent time humans walked on the Moon. NASA intended to launch further expeditions, but the messy Apollo 13 launch and several budget cuts forced them to abandon Apollo 18 and 19. Apollo 18 imagines the Department of Defense classifying the titular mission. In December 1974, Commander Nathan Walker, Lieutenant Colonel John Grey, and Captain Ben Anderson launch under cover of night to avoid detection. Far from the scientific exploration of earlier Apollo journeys, this crew is ordered to plant a device on the Moon to provide early warnings of nuclear strikes by Russia. As Ben and Nathan land on the Moon, their onboard camera captures a Moon rock move.
Strange noises and frequent shakes torment the astronauts. After their first moonwalk, their samples seem to escape their containment. Sounds lure Nathan and Ben back onto the surface, following bloodstained footprints. The indentations lead them to an abandoned Soviet lunar module. Dead cosmonauts and scattered EVA suit parts litter the ground. When Walker informs Houston, they tell him to carry on. During the night, the noises grow worse. The astronauts prepare to leave, but the constant disturbances prevent their launch. Their flag is shredded, and they find inhuman footprints on the lunar surface. Nathan panics as an alien creature invades his space suit, crawling across the inside of his helmet. Ben finds a wound in his chest that holds a Moon rock. They find that the ICBM warning device is designed to keep track of extraterrestrial arachnid-like monsters who can disguise themselves as Moon rocks. Walker is infected, gradually growing more unhinged and paranoid as the problem spreads. John and Ben are alone on the Moon, fighting for their lives to escape and return home.
What is Apollo 18’s Rotten Tomatoes score?
Apollo 18 earned a withering 24% positive score on Rotten Tomatoes. The average critic gave it a four out of ten. Audiences granted the film a 23%, a rare moment of agreement for the two demographics. There's no division here. Critics frequently mention the several movies Apollo 18 blatantly ripped off. Paranormal Activity is the most obvious candidate, though Apollo 18 is far from the most soulless attempt to recapture the found footage sleeper hit. The change in setting and presentation allows Apollo 18 to appear different enough to sell tickets. The unforgivable sin of this feature is that it's astonishingly dull. To quote David Edelstein for Vulture, "It's 80 minutes of dead air." The Moon rock spiders are an appreciably gonzo idea that could've carried a film, but the lion's share of Apollo 18 is spent staring at poorly recreated 70s space equipment. The obvious solution would be to create engaging characters, but few found footage movies have accomplished that. Apollo 18 manages the almost impressive feat of being too long despite coming in under 90 minutes.
How does Apollo 18 end?
Nathan grows violent as the infection corrupts him. Unhinged, he botches Ben's attempts to save him. Nathan ruins their lander, forcing them to use the Soviet equipment. He's pulled away as Ben tries to contact John to escape. The DOD tells John that Nathan and Ben are infected. Gathered Moon rock samples attack Ben, proving the DOD eventually correct. Ben crashes the Soviet lander into John, killing both men. The epilogue explains the DOD fabricated accidents to avoid questions. It also notes many missing Moon rock samples on Earth, playfully implying the possibility of a Moon spider invasion.
Apollo 18 would make a great short film. As it is, it isn't compelling enough to hold anyone's attention. It's a shame to see an idea as fun as "spiders that look like Moon rocks kill 70s astronauts" become a dull, trend-chasing waste of time. The film can serve as a lesson to future horror filmmakers. If there are 80 minutes of dead air, find a way to fill that space. Engaging characters, decent writing, and even a subplot or two could have saved this movie. If NASA saw Apollo 18, they'd be glad they canceled it in the 70s.