Quartile rating: 5.5/10 · 1 rating
Officially, Apollo 17 was the last manned mission to the moon. But a year later in 1973, three American astronauts were sent on a secret mission to the moon funded 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.
Apollo 18 applies the found-footage format to a moon-based horror premise, which is a genuinely interesting concept that earns some Novelty credit. The lunar setting and pseudo-documentary aesthetic give it a distinctive atmosphere, and the cinematography—mimicking degraded 16mm and surveillance camera footage—is effectively unsettling in places. However, the plot is thin and predictable, relying on slow burn that never adequately pays off, and the alien threat (rock-like creatures) feels undercooked. The acting is competent but unremarkable within the confines of the format. The ending is abrupt and unsatisfying, failing to deliver the dread the premise promised. Overall a mid-tier found-footage entry with an interesting hook that outpaces its execution.