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This found-footage thriller follows the classified Apollo 18 mission to the moon. During the mission, astronauts Grey, Walker, and Anderson deploy radar scanners and unexpectedly encounter a Soviet spacecraft. They then discover the remains of a cosmonaut, revealing a disturbing and tragic event. As the crew investigates, they face mounting terror and begin to question the true nature of humanity's lunar exploration and the secrets hidden on the moon’s surface.

This found-footage thriller follows the classified Apollo 18 mission to the moon. During the mission, astronauts Grey, Walker, and Anderson deploy radar scanners and unexpectedly encounter a Soviet spacecraft. They then discover the remains of a cosmonaut, revealing a disturbing and tragic event. As the crew investigates, they face mounting terror and begin to question the true nature of humanity's lunar exploration and the secrets hidden on the moon’s surface.

Does Apollo 18 have end credit scenes?

No!

Apollo 18 does not have end credit scenes. You can leave when the credits roll.

Meet the Full Cast and Actors of Apollo 18

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Ratings and Reviews for Apollo 18

See how Apollo 18 is rated across major platforms like IMDb, Metacritic, and TMDb. Compare audience scores and critic reviews to understand where Apollo 18 stands among top-rated movies in its genre.


Metacritic

24

Metascore

5.0

User Score

Rotten Tomatoes
review

24%

TOMATOMETER

review

23%

User Score

IMDb

5.2 /10

IMDb Rating

TMDB

53

%

User Score

Take the Ultimate Apollo 18 Movie Quiz

Challenge your knowledge of Apollo 18 with this fun and interactive movie quiz. Test yourself on key plot points, iconic characters, hidden details, and memorable moments to see how well you really know the film.


Apollo 18 Quiz: Test your knowledge on the chilling events of the Apollo 18 mission and its dark discoveries.

In which year was the Apollo 18 mission set?

Full Plot Summary and Ending Explained for Apollo 18

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Read the complete plot summary of Apollo 18, including all major events, twists, and the full ending explained in detail. Explore key characters, themes, hidden meanings, and everything you need to understand the story from beginning to end.


Decades-old footage from NASA’s abandoned Apollo 18 mission uncovers the mysterious reasons behind the United States’ absence from lunar exploration since 1973. Initially dismissed, the mission is suddenly approved as a top-secret Department of Defense operation. Commander Nathan Walker (Lloyd Owen), Lieutenant Colonel John Grey (Ryan Robbins), and Captain Benjamin Anderson (Warren Christie) are launched into space to deploy detectors aimed to warn against impending ICBM threats from the USSR.

While Grey remains in orbit aboard the Freedom Command/Service module, Walker and Anderson land on the Moon using the lunar module Liberty. As they attempt to install one of their detectors, they also collect samples of moon rocks. However, sleep eludes them as strange noises fill the atmosphere, leading to a startling incident where a camera captures a small rock moving nearby. Houston, represented by the voice of Andrew Airlie, assures them that the disturbances are merely interference from the ICBM detectors. But things take a bizarre turn when Anderson finds a moon rock sample on the floor of the Liberty, despite their earlier precautions to secure them.

Their exploration uncovers eerie footprints, guiding them to a Soviet LK lander that is functional yet eerily blood-stained. Anderson ventures into a dark crater and uncovers a deceased cosmonaut, but when Walker raises concerns about the Soviet presence, Houston brushes off his queries, instructing them to continue their mission.

The following day, they discover that their American flag has vanished. As they prepare to conclude their tasks and depart the Moon, violent tremors shake their lunar module, forcing them to abort the launch. An inspection points to significant damage and non-human tracks; Walker is convinced of extraterrestrial involvement when he feels something moving inside his spacesuit—an unnerving encounter with a spider-like creature.

Walker soon goes missing, only to be found unconscious. Upon an examination, a mysterious wound on his chest reveals a moon rock embedded within. As they struggle to maintain contact with Houston and Grey, interference from an unknown source complicates their situation. A paranoid Walker, displaying signs of infection from his wound, becomes increasingly delusional and attempts to sabotage the cameras in Liberty. His reckless actions lead to a catastrophic depressurization event.

Faced with a diminishing oxygen supply, the duo traverses to the Soviet LK lander, yet Walker’s paranoia causes him to flee, fearing he could spread the infection to Earth. Before long, Anderson crashes while trying to compel Walker to return, later waking to find Walker entrapped and pulled into the crater by moon creatures. In a desperate move, Anderson uses a strobe light for illumination, only to realize that the “moon rocks” are not what they seem.

Making contact with USSR Mission Control, Anderson learns the grim truth from the deputy secretary of the Department of Defense—returning to Earth is not an option, given the risk of contamination. When Anderson attempts to launch the LK lander to reunite with Grey, he is assaulted by Walker, now fully overtaken by the alien creatures. In a chaotic climax, the lander’s reduced gravity causes rocks to float, revealing that some harbored alien life forms, leading to Anderson’s own infection.

As the dramatic tension unfolds, Grey warns Anderson of an impending collision, and just as the footage reveals their fate, it abruptly cuts to earlier moments of the astronauts enjoying a barbecue with loved ones. The official narrative concludes with false reports of the astronauts’ deaths in accidents that left their bodies unrecoverable, while an epilogue raises questions about the fate of moon rocks brought back from earlier Apollo missions, suggesting a cover-up of the horrific truth that lay hidden on the lunar surface.

Uncover the Details: Timeline, Characters, Themes, and Beyond!

Watch Trailers, Clips & Behind-the-Scenes for Apollo 18

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Watch official trailers, exclusive clips, cast interviews, and behind-the-scenes footage from Apollo 18. Dive deeper into the making of the film, its standout moments, and key production insights.


Official Trailer

Official Trailer 2

Movie Themes and Keywords

Discover the central themes, ideas, and keywords that define the movie’s story, tone, and message. Analyze the film’s deeper meanings, genre influences, and recurring concepts.


space sci fimoonsecret missioncosmonautastronautalien creaturesecretconspiracyfootprintfound footagewalking on the moonfound footage horroramericananalog horror1960s2010snasablood splatterwalkmancassette tapetrapped in spacefamous speechclose up of eyessnoringblindfoldhammockjapaleno pepperpseudo documentaryinterferencemoon buggymotion detectorarchive footageapollo spacecraftrocket launchingsaturn v rockethome movieyear 2011year 1972year 1970year 1969what happened to epiloguedeceptionsoviet flagspaceship crashbarbecueu.s. department of defensecraterhammertalking to the cameramotion sensor

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