small rip off of paranormal, but only in camera POV, and paranormal is not the first to do that. original story, original aliens, effective use of pop outs and weird, creepy, isolated feeling all throughout. whats worse than getting attacked by camouflage aliens.. them attacking you on the moon with 0 help. if you can get aside from a bit of un realism then its great. its the movie that makes kids not want to be astronauts anymore.… Expand

I'm very confused on why this movie gets such low reviews, when Don't be afraid of the dark had a 50 score. This movie was one of the best films i have seen in a long time. The movie isn't crowded with jumpscares and over the top childish-gore, it instead focused on a conspiracy story and it was a really good story too. The only bad thing I can think off is that the so called "aliens" arent really that surprising and there was still some things that I thought they might have forgot to explain. You will know what im talking about when you see it. Seriously though, I feel as if some people have just lost taste in Entertainment.… Expand

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. So first off I must say WOW!This film is one of the most impressive things I;ve seen in a while and I think the critics have it all wrong!The first thing I must mention is the way the director and the filmmakers actually wanted people to believe this footage was real.I think this may have fooled some but not very many probably.I should mention I am a HUGE Paranormal Activity fan and I expected this to be a lot like it.I was right.The only difference is this about twice as scary as the first one.There are so many spooks and scares that I believe this film deserves a LOT more recognition for at least the effort.I'm gonna try to go over the main,important points of the film for those who've seen this or for those who don't care about spoilers. So basically the film starts with a few NASA facts telling how Apollo 17 launched in 1972 and was "supposedly"the final mission to the moon before 18,19,and 20 were cancelled.However,another fact was given stating that a website entitled Lunartruth.com contained edited footage from the film(which it didn't.)After this,testimonials are give to the three astronauts going on the secret 18th mission.The character I believe many will have empathy for is Ben(the one with the family)if you watch to the very end.What few people realize is that there were three astronauts(one stayed in orbit the entire film.)After they land,this is where the Paranormal Activity begins.Ben loses his rock sample(turns out there's more than one alien as several are disguised as moon rocks,go figure.)But the thing that gets me is how there must have been an invisible alien as well,because we still see giant,strange tracks and shadows outside the space pod.What I don't get is why these moon rock creatures are very ressemblent to spiders.One is seen inside Nate's suit and we very quickly realize he's infected(obviously meaning he's doomed.)Then of course he becomes paranormally possessed and eventually is dragged into a crater by something we can't even see.Now the ironic thing is earlier in the film,we discover the Russians have been on the moon recently and a Soviet Space Pod is found.The catch is that a Russian body is found in these craters as well as a cracked helmet.We realize near the end this is the whole reason NASA cancelled Apollo 18,19,and 20.So basically NASA and the White House(even the freaking secretary of state knew about this and didn't bother to tell the Russians or America.This is a perfect example of all the corruption we've seen in our government and how bad they've screwed up.So of course after Nate's dragged to his doom,Ben must return to this Soviet space pod that's been trashed inside just as much as the space pod that him and Nate came in.Just when we all have our hopes up for Ben to make it out of there alive,he gets a signal transmission from guess who?Anyway,the secretary of state,being a big voice of America keeps sealed lips in the film and doesn't tell America about what they knew went on on the moon when Apollo 18 landed.This leads up to him telling Ben he has to stay on the moon when him and NASA knew all about the possible infection on the moon.Audiences who had faith in Ben may be dismayed,as he pleads to the secretary to let him come home to his family.The secretary's reply:We'll le them know you died a hero.B.S.!!!HE plays innocent and eventually deactivates the transmission leaving him alone.Meanwhile,Ben gets a nearby transmission from John(the guy in orbit)letting him know he's gonna get him off the moon.Too bad NASA interferes and forces John to stop the space pod in which he prevails.So as Ben's about to take off(GASP!!!!!!!)Nate returns and tries to smash the window open but this is the part that nearly gave me nightmares.Those moon rock spiders start swirling around in his head until we see his entire face explode!!!WTF?!!!Oh well,aside from that,Ben has liftoff.So anyway,John is faced with a choice,listen to NASA,or help Ben escape.While he's defying NASA and pondering over the decision,Nate thinks he's home free all the way up until somehow the moon rocks get inside his space pod and kill him.Things get worse for John too as he collides with the space pod and the filming is immediately cut off.Afterwards,we see descriptions of how the three men died.To cover up the evidence,NASA makes up each of their deaths.Sucks huh!It just comes to show how the government can act even more corrupt in movies than in real life and this film proved it to me spot on.The film itself may have lacked in quality,but over all,it still kicked the first Paranormal Activity an Blair Witch's asses.The spookiest piece of horror I've seen since Paranormal Activity 2.Don't listen to the critics.It has a decent story with more than decent thrill.Everyone should at least give this thrilling film a try!Do it,have fun with it,and long live NASA!!!!!!!!!!… Expand

This was a surprisingly good movie, considering the negative reviews. Then again, I'm not a horror fan so I might not know something others know. Still I enjoyed it and I'm rating it accordingly.

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This is a different kind of horror. It does not rely on gore and cheap jump scares to illicit fright from viewers. It does not use the "omnipresent serial killer/ demon" trope so many movies are content to recycle. Rather, it puts two men in a location that is familiar to them (they are astronauts, after all), then watches as **** hits the fan and they are hunted by beings whose nature is never explained. To make matters worse, the government they have been trusting basically flips them off and refuses to rescue them because they have already fulfilled their purpose. Tension is slowly built up, culminating in a scenario that generates true horror. And found footage isn't a gimmick, it is a genre of film!… Expand

Apollo 18 is a great example of a decent sci fi thriller that doesn't drag on, doesn't bore you with ineffectual CGI special effects and has a couple great jump moments. Why all the haters??

I'd probably give it a 7.5, but am rounding up to 8. Really don't understand the critical thrashing this movie is receiving. It's actually pretty well-made, given the budget and all. The deal-breaker for everyone seems to be the "threat". When it is revealed, you will either find it rather original and go with it, or think it's the most ridiculous thing you ever heard and wish they had done little green men, and the film will lose you.

The filmmakers were really stuck between a rock and a hard place on this one. Still, much better film then ANYONE seems to want to give it credit for.… Expand

If you grew up watching the Apollo moon landings, and liked episodes of Night Gallery then you should enjoy this film. I watched it with my ten year old and watched him pull down his cap bill during the "strobe scenes". He claimed it didn't scare him a bit. I know he was lying.

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. If you want to see a found footage film in space, check out "Apollo 18". This film delivers more chills and some best performances from the actors who play the Astronauts, and a very eerie setting for the film.… Expand

APOLLO 18 has it's creepy moments, but even though the film is slow, it still entertains and keeps you watching. Although, I thought the ending was predictable and could've been better. The film was better than I thought it would be.

The formula used in this movie is that similar to The Blair witch project and Paranormal activity. It starts with the typical "everything you see in this movie is real documented footage and blah blah" Of course most of the audience watching knows this isn't true, so I don't really know why the directors bother to put something like that in movies in the first place anymore. I guess it's used in an attempt to immerse the crowd watching the movie but after awhile it just starts feeling silly. To my disappointment, most of the movie wasn't shown in full screen. This is obviously due to the supposed cameras used back in the 70's, imitated by the director to further have the crowd believe everything seen is real. It's just disappointing to go to the theater and see the movie not take full advantage of the screen. The length of the movie was a bit on the short side and most of the people watching seemed bored out of their minds until the last half of the movie. I feel that the start of the movie had the plot moving to fast, which sort of made for a rough start. The plot wasn't exactly stellar either, it was pretty generic in the sense that you have astronauts out in space, encountering alien life forms and somehow getting "infected" by them, like seriously guys? How many times do we have to see this same old plot re-used? Despite the movies flaws, it did have it's moments, specifically the moments where it would make you jump in fear. The acting was good, the special effects were great for the budget it had and by the end of the movie I was satisfied with what I've seen. We watch movies for enjoyment and this movie gave me enough enjoyment to feel that I got my monies worth.… Expand

I liked Apollo 18 because it makes me think of old (re: 1950s) era SF short stories. However I'd been anticipating the film for the better part of a year so when I finally saw it, I couldn't help but feel underwhelmed, but then again, this isn't going to be 2001; just a SF thriller on the moon and it that respect, it's a good little film.

If you liked found footage movies a-la Paranormal Activity and close, isolated atmospheric movies like Moon, you will enjoy Apollo 18. there's not a lot of new ground broken here, but it is an enjoyable experience for those with the correct mindset. I liked it on the basis of the above.

I feel it was just a good movie. I doubt it's real but still well thought out plot with a predictable ending. I don't understand why people have told me this movie is slow paced. I mean 10 min in they they are already on the moon. There were a couple great jump scenes i have to say!

It was a decent movie. It was slow at some parts. But the overall story was interesting. I don't know why people compare it to Paranormal Activity. It's a different movie, different story, and different antagonist.

Surprisingly, I actually enjoyed this film. It had it's creepy moments and it was quite enjoyable. But unfortunately, it wasn't scary and was a bit slow.

In 1972, the Department of Defense launches Apollo 18 on a secret mission to the moon. Objective: Unknown. Its crew would never return. Nearly 30 years later, their footage has been found. If you aren't already a fan of the "found-footage" genre, APOLLO 18 is unlikely to change that fact, but for anyone who enjoys watching in horror through the shaky first-person perspective of the camera will find this to be another fresh new take on the format. Director Gonzalo López-Gallego has taken great care in making every scene feel authentic by properly aging the footage and dressing down the technology to fit the early 1970's. The cramped space station and craterous moon setting add the the believability, and allow for a suspension of disbelief as we travel alongside the cosmonauts in zero-gravity. While this particular style does lend credibility to the plot, it is also cause for a lot of expected slow-downs in the pace, with the action being spread thin throughout the entire run-time. Fear and paranoia do set in much like in THE THING once the men discover that there is life on other worlds. An interesting use of the format to be sure, APOLLO 18 nevertheless reaches the limit of its own high concept quickly as the audience eagerly awaits any signs of life from the film. -Carl Manes
I Like Horror Movies… Expand

What looks to be a fun mockumentary horror film is nothing more then a lame, dry and boring hour and twenty minutes. Brand new actors, brand new director and no credits. This seems like something that could have worked pre blair witch but were smarter then that and this film is a lot stupider then that!

Why did I watch it?
Being a bit of a sci-fi and closet horror fan, I was suckered in by the trailer and the interesting premise of a disastrous secret moon landing ending the NASA Apollo missions.

What's it all about?
Apollo 18 is a found-footage type film marketed as being made up of footage recovered from a top secret NASA moon landing in 1974. The Apollo 18 mission is cancelled publicly, however the mission secretly still takes place under stewardship of the Department of Defence. One astronaut stays in orbit while the other two land on the moon and begin their mission of deploying detectors to monitor Soviet activity.

Should you watch it?
First of all, Apollo 18 owes a lot to other found-footage films like Blair Witch and Cloverfield. One difference however, is that the events are shown from a variety of cameras, handheld, inside the lunar module and from cameras on the outside of the module. The editing is very choppy and often switches between the various cameras as you imagine a security guard would. While this never gives the audience a chance to rest as you find yourself scoping out all the shots for any movement it becomes tiresome and interrupting. Coupled with the 'interference' to the footage and the grainy nature of some the shots, its all a bit too realistic but difficult to watch. The same applies to majority of the dialogue, radio transmissions are authentic but not employed with the viewer in mind.

The director creates suspense on occasions by using the vast and isolated yet claustrophobic setting of the moon and also the cramped safety of the lunar module coupled with a cabin fever mentality. I won't deny that on occasions the film succeeded in building uneasiness and made me jump a few times. The technique of using intermittent light flashes to illuminate pitch black environments, in Apollo 18's case moon craters, has been used previously in Saw and is not employed anywhere near as well here.

The main thought I had following the film's ending, which I won't spoil, is how on Earth (no pun intended) was the footage found? Based on this it had me thinking, was the found-footage approach really necessary? Did cost negate a traditional approach? Films like Alien prove that suspenseful sci-fi horrors work minus the novelty.

Will appeal far more to horror genre fans than traditional sci-fi fans.… Expand

Just saw this movie and i must say i liked it but i didnt like it at the same time. The critics rating ruined this movie for me. I expected it to be horrible so i didnt even give it a chance. I know i wouldve liked this movie if i hadnt seen the reviews. It had its scary points but it did have some slow nonsensical points. I didnt understand the point to the slow motion shots they used and the actors seemed to be trying to hard occasionally, and i wasnt the biggest fan of the villain but it was still a decent film. Dont just listen to the critics, give this movie a chance, you will like it if you enjoy suspenseful films or a horror movie that gets you thinking, dont do what i did, give it a chance. 5/10 would be higher if i didnt ruin it for myself with the critics.… Expand

Wait-for-it - Since I don't believe we ever actually landed on the moon it's hard to believe this "true" story but it is semi-scary.

Continue reading on Examiner.com See-it, rent-it, skip-it: Top 10 best movies in theaters Friday, September 9th - National Movie | Examiner.com http://www.examiner.com/movie-in-national/see-it-rent-it-skip-it-top-10-best-movies-theaters-friday-september-9th#ixzz1XkEs9LgX… Expand

I recognized the actors from Sanctuary and Alphas so I knew the movie was fake. The first half of the movie is like most horror movies, building up tension. Unfortunately, like most horror movies once the monster is revealed, everything gets a little boring and predictable. I did like cutting choices, and the stylized sets and costumes and film; I thought it was convincingly from the late 60s - early 70s.… Expand

This movie was a major disappointment. It wasn't bad, but it really wasn't what I was expecting it to be. The ending was bad, the acting was meh, and the script was corny at times. The only "scary" part, and it wasn't scary but more of a jump-scare, was when the infected guy randomly came to the window and started pounding on the window with a hammer. Over-all, the movie sucked.

It's just so unbelievable how stupefyingly fake this movie is. Not that I would ever think it was real. It's just that that's what they were aiming for. The main problem is that the aliens should have been creepy, not crab rock moon-shin aliens instead of Martians!!!!!!!!!

By the time of the last Apollo mission in 1972, the public had lost interest in spaceflight and, sadly, that

Proficiently made, this new addition to the "found footage" horror/science fiction sub-genre has a couple of jump off your seat moments and a very effective sound design; however, the many inconsistencies (do these guys even researched about NASA's protocols?) and the feature of one of the most silly villains since Shyamalan's"The Happening" conspire to dilute the final punch these type of narratives should have.… Expand

This movie is one long trailer. Just drop this "found footage" thing, this movie would be good if it had been a normal movie with narrative and some back story, sort of like Apollo 13 where you see them training for the flight and all the good stuff. I had no idea what was going half of the movie, they went from being extremely concerned about certain things to sitting around on moon rocks in one shot! And what's with the paranormal-ish aliens, was it so hard to come up with a realistic enemy/danger? Also, there was almost no contact with the Mission Control Center so it felt like they were stuck in some base in Antarctica.… Expand

if you read a review with a positive review or anything over a 5 know these people are either idiots or just want you to watch this movie. just saying. the story is sparse but a good idea, that being said the biggest flaw with this movie is that it's BORING!!!! it's watch able and that isn't saying much. the only reason i didn't walk out is because i didn't want the producers to get the satisfaction of getting my money and having me walk away without seeing it. yes i am mentally changed i think. the end.… Expand

There are some scary moments, but all of these moments cannot overcome the boredom and the lethargic pace of "Apollo 18", or should I say "The Paranormal Activity Wannabe".

Apollo 18 was mildly amusing, but it had quite a few problems. First of all, this movie was short. Simply put, it didn't feel like a lot really happened in the premise. Second, it wasn't even scary. There were a few jump moments but nothing too special.

Kind of dumb, with bland special effects. The actors are okay and the premise was interesting although it was pretty darn predictable. The stock NASA footage was used to good effect although if you were of certain age, you had seen it all before. I felt sorry for the Russian cosmonaut.....

Seriously!? It's "The Blair Witch Project" on the moon. Not only is it a ripoff, but it's a ripoff over 10 years too late. This movie is only for the drunk and bored.

if i had to sum up the film in one word it would be "Pointless" mainly because in the end it makes zero sense. nothing is learned about what is going on . its 90 min of mostly pointless dribble. the creatures literally have 3 seconds of screen time LITERALLY. you never get a good look at them. the film is shot in 4.3 aspect ratio in the documentory style with a very crappy frame rate to give it that 70s feel .listen film makers most of us theee days have high def HD tvs ... we prefer not to have are movies look like crap even if you are tryin to mkake it look like its from the 70s... screw that crap. it sucked it the blair witch project and it sucked in cloverfiled and it sucks in this film. its suppose to be i guess a cover up conspiercy thing thats trying to prove its self as fact... id find it more believeable looking under my bed and finding a alien that bleeds acid and wants to plant a egg in my chest over this film. the only good thing i can say is the cast is pretty good and they can act pretty well. other then that forget this film .… Expand

A wannabe '' Cloverfield '' set out in space. Sounds interesting right ? Not really, especially after seeing how bad it turned out to be. No matter how short the movie was, I wanted it to end. I don't remember turning my head away from the screen multiple times before. It was boring, completely forgettable and I didn't really cared about anything in the film. By the look of the story and the idea, I wanted it to be good, but it's not the case. After a promising trailer, this movie offers nothing. Don't waste your time and money.… Expand

Apollo 18 is a boring horror/sci-fi movie that fails to be impressive in any form. The documentary "Blair Witch Project" style of filming hampers what could be a decent flick by using low budget and **** camera effects and angles to produce boredom rather than terror. This movie could have benefited from a few simple rhetorical questions like "if I can't see what i'm supposed to be scared of, how am I supposed to be scared?" or "should I use special effects in a sci-fi/horror movie on the moon?" the answers to these questions are simple. The first answer is no and the second answer is yes.… Expand

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Don't you just love those shaky cam movies where they say everything here is true and at the end everyone dies!?!?!?!?!?!?1/!?1/1/1/1?!?1/1/!/!?!//slash!!?!??!/!??!/!?!?!?!?!?!??!?!/one/!!//??1/?!??!!!eleven11????… Expand

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. It's yet another one of these docufiction movies but this is one of the worst ones I've seen. The story has some potential which is the only reason I didn't give the movie the lowest rating possible. Unfortunately, the movie is incredibly boring, the acting is mediocre, the effort to make it "edited clips" was overdone which gave it too much of a gimmicky feel, and there was no part in the movie that was remotely scary, thrilling, or horrifying. Also, it felt like the creators were lazy in the way they failed to ever show for sure what the "extraterrestrial life" was exactly. Obviously I didn't expect answers but I at least expected a good shot of them. Instead, the viewers are left to assume it to be some sort of transfiguring arachnid or something. Bottom line, the entertainment value was next to nothing. The only reason I watched the entire thing was to see how they decided to end it.… Expand

This film is shot on old cameras, in a 70s style documentary, that someone would have made on an old camcorder. Someone uncovers the tapes of this secret, classified, NASA mission, that was buried and turns it into this film. Apollo 18 shows how the astronauts came into contact with extra terrestrial life. I was expecting this to be a trippy Sci-Fi movie, it wasn't. I also thought maybe the aliens would be hostile and it would be an action packed horror flick, not really. The truth is, it's hard to say what this was besides bad! First of all, the look they use for effect, hampered the viewers, the constant interruption and flashes were just annoying! The actors really have no dialogue outside of their work, meaning we know basically nothing about them, so there is no connection with the audience. The dialogue is bland, the effects are cheap, and the cinematography makes you want to vomit. It's not Paranormal Activity, nor is it the Blair Witch, it's a cheap rip off of both, that's not worth one minute of your time.… Expand

The movie have an interesting plot, interesting title, interesting front, but is really boring, Im feeling excited when I watch Apollo 18, all the movie have a big suspense and finally, a monster stone? okay, this can be scare, but the big problem is that all the movie is completely BORING, this found footage is really terrible. Apollo 18 is bad.

One of the worst movies I have ever seen. Extremely boring throughout and they try and make a cheep thrill like a pop up to last for 20 minutes. They think your freaked out so they bore you for another 20 minutes. If cheap thrilled boring movies are you thing Apollo 18 is all yours definitely not mine.

Completely and utterly boring. Claiming they used "real" footage and built a movie around it is akin to me taking a picture of a tree and then making a movie about them eating your house pets. 20 minutes in and I had to check the timer because it felt like I had been watching for 3 hours. There was no connection with the characters, you didn't care whether they got off the moon and I really didn't care how it ended. I just wanted it to end. The only thing that kept this movie rolling was the feeling that I spent $4 renting it so I better just finish it.… Expand

The best approach is to begin with the characters, because they are the most annoying part of the movie. Of course, I didn't feel their humanity and feelings so even archive footage at the end wasn't touching - it was just the obvious and untalented trying to call our empathy. Though there's a sense of threat, director resorts on simple famous horror tricks which are not able to scare most of us. There's no originality actually in screenplay: the plot is absent. The final twist finally throws the viewer through the screen with its insensitivity.… Expand

About the worst movie I've ever seen. I give it a one for the few brief spooky moments, but other than that everything was predictable and shoddily made. If you want to convince somebody that it's real (or at least try), get somebody who can act the part. Both of the main actors made me want to stand up and walk out whenever they said something.

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Descibe Apolo 18 in one word? Easy. Absolute rubbish. Unenjoyable, silly, scareless horror that tries to be different and ends up as Paranormal Activity... in space. An example scene;
Astronaut 1: Oh look, a Russian spaceship!
Astronaut 2: How did that get there?
Astroanut 1: Umm, Oh Look Rocks!
Astronaut 2: Aaaah! The Rocks are aliens! AND.. they want to kill us and invade earth!
Astronaut 1: This Plot makes no sense! Let's try and end on a cliffhanger to see if we get a sequel!
Yep, that's pretty much how dialogue goes in the movie. Acting is wooden. At least 50% of the audience left in the first 30 minutes. I'm ashamed that I didn't go with them.… Expand

I gave this movie a 2, and that is me being very much generous. I'll be honest, I don't know too much about this movie, but I will explain to you what I felt for the first 30 minutes before I quit and turned the movie off- I probably expected too much out of this film, so at the beginning of it, I was very excited to see what this was about. First of all, this whole film takes place on the moon (besides the beginning). It is dark, the dialogue is boring, and the "action" parts of the movie were not exciting. I was deeply disappointed with everything this film gave and I really consider myself to not even be too picky with movies. This however, was terribly boring. I would not recommend it, unless if you are a huge sci fi "thriller" fan. If you are, maybe you can appreciate this film a little bit more than me.… Expand

Lacking creativity, having a less than decent story line and bad effects.

Dumbest for a long time..

Is this really a documentary? I've heard of Apollo 13 and now Apollo 18? This is one of the worst documentaries since last year when Jaquin Phoenix played a now-hoax rapper in "I'm Still Here." None of this are real and so does the clumsy dialogue. 2012 was the only movie that hit rock bottom.

Wow, total disappointment. I love astronomy and had been so yearn to watch this. The found footage kind of movie is supposed to be one of the easiest way to make the audience feel connected to the story. But compared to Paranormal Activity, Apollo 18 is such a joke. Silly way to scare the audience. The plot is no way near sophisticated and beautifully written. Not to mention that it's kinda confusing. Even after the movie ended my friend and I were still confused about how many characters there were. Not impressed, seriously.… Expand

This is the worst movie I have seen in my life. The Human Centipede movies are more fun to watch than this crap. Very boring, and just plain stupid. A zero is almost to good for this piece of crap.