An Underrated Sci-Fi Movie Just Hit Hulu (And It’s Better Than You Remember)

Hulu’s November newsletter has brought dozens of new films to streaming, including an underrated sci-fi horror movie that is guaranteed to leave you terrified of space. The sci-fi genre is a Hollywood staple that has continued to attract viewers for generations with a blend of creative imagination with scientific plausibility that explores complex issues, but some movies have flown under the radar. As Hulu began adding new titles to its streaming library, its existing catalog of sci-fi films that already includes Aliens, Signs, and The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy grew by a lesser-known sci-fi film that you need to see.

The found footage science fiction horror film Apollo 18 is streaming on Hulu as of November 10th. Directed by Gonzalo López-Gallego from a screenplay by Brian Miller, the movie centers around the Apollo 18 mission, a real-life NASA mission to the moon that was cancelled, reimagining it as a secret, ill-fated expedition that never returned to Earth. The movie uses a found footage style to claim it contains “actual footage” of the secret mission, something that prompted NASA to speak out and confirm, “Apollo 18 is not a documentary.”

Apollo 18 Is a Criminally Slept-On Film – And It’s Better Than Critics Say

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Apollo 18 is one of those movies that has mostly been forgotten with time. Although the film was a financial success, grossing more than $26 million at the global box office against a $5 million budget, the only splash it made with critics and audiences was in criticism. The film only managed to secure a disastrous 24% critic score on Rotten Tomatoes, which is only a point higher than its audience rating, but those low ratings shouldn’t dissuade you from giving Apollo 18 a second chance.

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The movie is an underrated sci-fi gem that prioritizes a slow-burn atmospheric horror to build tension to a tipping point. The use of the confined spaces of the lunar module and the vast, empty lunar landscape creates a vulnerable sense of claustrophobia and isolation that is unnerving as a viewer. That horror is amplified by the film’s effective use of the found footage style, which mimics the static, low-resolution look of actual 1970s NASA footage and makes it feel like the audience is actually watching archival footage left behind in the wake of disaster.

Apollo 18 ultimately suffered from the found footage boom of the time, with the massive success of other films like Paranormal Activity and Cloverfield overshadowing it. That, combined with the poor critical and audience reception, sealed Apollo 18’s fate as a film that has gone down with relative obscurity.

What’s New on Hulu?

Hulu has added plenty of great movies this November, including a few sci-fi additions. Along with Apollo 18, Hulu subscribers can now also stream Skyline, with 2025’s latest sci-fi movie Osiris set to join the platform on November 15th. Outside of the sci-fi genre, Hulu’s November arrivals now streaming include Love Actually, A Star Is Born (2018), and Labyrinth.

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