Reading the negative reviews for this film, it seems to me that the majority of reviewers who thought this was a poor movie didn't actually follow the plot very closely. There are no major flaws in the story that I could detect, and while the movie does require attention on the part of the viewer to follow what's unfolding, it's hardly rocket science.
The cinematography was fantastic, evoking a real sense of a moon mission, and as such, this is one of the few "found-footage" films (along with "REC") that provides the principles with a believable reason to document what occurs out-with the questionable "I-must-film-this-for-posterity" nonsense served up by the likes of "Cloverfield".
The small cast do a sterling job, and I don't quite follow how some other reviewers found the characters "unlikeable". The performances in the film evoked my interest. I found myself sympathising with their plight from the outset, and my involvement increased as the film continued. Much of this came from the terse script which was pleasantly free from filler and the baggage of back-story.
I thought the pacing of "Apollo 18" was excellent, creating an edge-of-the-seat uneasy tension building to absolute horror. I think fans of "Paranormal Activity" will enjoy this film. Those who didn't enjoy "Paranormal Activity" will most likely not like "Apollo 18". In the end, I guess it all depends on what scares you. "Apollo 18" scared me. That makes it a successful horror movie in my opinion. But horror, like so much else, is a relative concept.
I have friends who didn't enjoy "Paranormal Activity", and I can understand why: it simply didn't poke them in their scary-bone. Me, I ended up sleeping with the light on after watching it. "Apollo 18" is one of those films - if it's going to scare you, it'll really scare you; but if gradually-rising terror isn't your thing, it'll probably disappoint.
Despite being a low budget production, there's nothing amateur about the delivery. I think "Apollo 18" is a taut and disturbing horror story that puts bigger budget disappointments like the cliché-filled "Cloverfield" to shame. Think "Moon" meets "Paranormal Activity". If that sounds like your type of movie, then don't let this one slip under your radar.
The cinematography was fantastic, evoking a real sense of a moon mission, and as such, this is one of the few "found-footage" films (along with "REC") that provides the principles with a believable reason to document what occurs out-with the questionable "I-must-film-this-for-posterity" nonsense served up by the likes of "Cloverfield".
The small cast do a sterling job, and I don't quite follow how some other reviewers found the characters "unlikeable". The performances in the film evoked my interest. I found myself sympathising with their plight from the outset, and my involvement increased as the film continued. Much of this came from the terse script which was pleasantly free from filler and the baggage of back-story.
I thought the pacing of "Apollo 18" was excellent, creating an edge-of-the-seat uneasy tension building to absolute horror. I think fans of "Paranormal Activity" will enjoy this film. Those who didn't enjoy "Paranormal Activity" will most likely not like "Apollo 18". In the end, I guess it all depends on what scares you. "Apollo 18" scared me. That makes it a successful horror movie in my opinion. But horror, like so much else, is a relative concept.
I have friends who didn't enjoy "Paranormal Activity", and I can understand why: it simply didn't poke them in their scary-bone. Me, I ended up sleeping with the light on after watching it. "Apollo 18" is one of those films - if it's going to scare you, it'll really scare you; but if gradually-rising terror isn't your thing, it'll probably disappoint.
Despite being a low budget production, there's nothing amateur about the delivery. I think "Apollo 18" is a taut and disturbing horror story that puts bigger budget disappointments like the cliché-filled "Cloverfield" to shame. Think "Moon" meets "Paranormal Activity". If that sounds like your type of movie, then don't let this one slip under your radar.