Apollo 18 Blu-ray review

            The premise of Apollo 18 nearly annoyed me into wanting to shut it off, but then I became invested in it and was eventually won over. It isn’t spectacular, and I dread the day another pseudo-documentary horror film is released, but there are some truly terrifying moments in Apollo 18. Also, annoyed as I was with the style, I must admit that it was admirably done, especially in the aging of the footage.

            The film takes place in 1974, on an unofficial Apollo mission to the moon. Apollo 17 was the last official trip to the moon, but two astronauts were sent in 1974 for a top secret mission by the U.S. Department of Defense. The film is meant to be surviving footage of their trip, and on it we see the mission that went terribly wrong. It begins with what appears to be just a rock sample collection, but soon there are many mysterious events that make it impossible for them to leave.

            The actual creatures within the storyline are never revealed with great clarity or detail, and that is what makes them so terrifying. The creatures are clever and the execution of the film is actually quite effective. We know where the storyline is going, but way in which it is presented makes the journey surprising just the same.

The Blu-ray includes a digital copy of the film. There are also a number of great special features, including deleted and alternate scenes, including an alternate ending. There is also a commentary with director Gonzalo Lopez-Gallego and editor Patrick Lussier.