Apollo 18
By Jeffrey Anderson,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Fake moon-landing chiller is no Blair Witch in space.

A Lot or a Little?
What you will—and won't—find in this movie.
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Apollo 18
Community Reviews
Based on 5 parent reviews
It was kinda pathetic
Report this review
Snooze
Report this review
What's the Story?
Just as NASA is about to cancel its manned moon missions, it prepares for one more trip, a top-secret voyage to plant a radar device on the lunar surface to keep tabs on the Russians. The Apollo 18 mission lands successfully, and the astronauts (played by Warren Christie and Lloyd Owen) go for their moon walk. Unfortunately, they find an abandoned Russian craft, plus evidence of foul play. Soon, strange things begin happening aboard their own ship, and one of the astronauts is wounded by an unseen invader. Worse, their radio contact with Earth is knocked out. Will these brave men ever return home?
Is It Any Good?
The fake "found footage" genre has really started to wear out its welcome; this movie really shows the drawbacks and limitations of the format. APOLLO 18 always seems like an attempt at a scary movie edited by scary movie-makers, rather than an actual document from the NASA vaults. It's never convincing, except perhaps for the pre-flight interviews conducted on Earth. And the picture's constant twitching and dropping out gets annoying.
On the moon, there's hardly any drama or character development to keep things moving. The moon monsters -- when they're finally revealed -- are fairly pathetic, and we barely know the characters, so there's no one to root for. What's more, the film's general tone is so downbeat and hopeless that it's not the least bit fun. The best thing you can say about this movie is that it's not too long.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the movie's violence. Is it scary? In general, which has more impact -- seeing frightening things take place or knowing that they're happening but not being able to see them?
Does this film really look or feel like it's made out of real found footage? How does the editing affect that perception? How does this compare to other movies using a similar style?
Movie Details
- In theaters: September 2, 2011
- On DVD or streaming: December 27, 2011
- Cast: Lloyd Owen, Ryan Robbins, Warren Christie
- Director: Gonzalo Lopez-Gallego
- Studios: Dimension, Weinstein Co.
- Genre: Science Fiction
- Run time: 88 minutes
- MPAA rating: PG-13
- MPAA explanation: some disturbing sequences, and language
- Last updated: April 20, 2023
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.
Suggest an Update
Where to Watch
Our Editors Recommend
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate