On September 5, Netflix premiered Apollo 13: Survival, a new documentary that chronicles the dramatic events of the ill-fated Apollo 13 mission. The film delves into the accident that endangered the lives of three NASA astronauts, offering an in-depth look at their fight for survival and the efforts to bring them safely back to Earth.
The Apollo 13 incident has already been covered in numerous documentaries and even received a biopic treatment with the 1995 feature film starring Tom Hanks. This posed a significant challenge for the creators of Apollo 13: Survival—how to deliver a fresh take on a story that has been retold many times and still make it compelling for a modern audience. So, how successful were they exactly? Universe Space Tech set out to explore this very question.
No talking heads
To begin with, Apollo 13: Survival breaks from the traditional documentary format. Unlike most documentaries, the film has no narrator guiding viewers through the ups and downs of the mission. Additionally, there are no ‘talking heads’ interview segments with those involved in the actual events, which is a common storytelling device in historical documentaries.
The creators of Apollo 13: Survival took a different approach, striving to immerse viewers in the tense atmosphere of those fateful days in April 1970, and present the story as seen through the eyes of its participants.
Instead of traditional narration or interviews, the film relies almost entirely on archival material—footage and photos captured by the astronauts during the mission, news reports from journalists on Earth, live television broadcasts, and even personal photos from family albums.
The only departures from the archival footage are a few close-ups that show details like the spacecraft’s controls, indicators, and radio equipment. These shots were specifically filmed for the documentary to provide clearer insight into the technical aspects of the mission.
Instead of relying on a traditional narrator, the film features the voices of those involved in the mission. This includes astronauts James Lovell, Fred Haise, and Jack Swigert, flight director Gene Kranz, members of Lovell’s family, as well as TV presenters, journalists, and engineers. These voices are drawn from archival recordings, with no new interviews conducted for the film.
Is Apollo 13: Survival Worth Watching?
So, what does this approach achieve? Let’s start with the good parts. The archival Apollo footage is nothing short of spectacular, easily outshining any Hollywood spectacle. The dramatic visuals of the Moon program’s vast infrastructure, the launch of the Saturn V rocket, and the breathtaking views of our satellite are deeply mesmerizing.
The footage from Earth is equally compelling. It captures NASA employees nervously smoking, Lowell’s family anxiously watching TV, fragments of news broadcasts, and crowds at newsstands eager for updates. All of which transport viewers back in time and provide a more tangible understanding of the public’s reaction to the Apollo 13 incident. Additionally, the filmmakers discovered rare footage and audio recordings that had previously been unavailable to the public, offering a unique glimpse that could be of particular interest to space enthusiasts.
Overall, this approach allows the filmmakers to effectively convey how the Apollo 13 mission was experienced by both the astronauts and the public. The documentary guides viewers through each stage of this space drama, from the astronauts’ initial despair to their miraculous rescue.
What about the not-so-good parts? While the subjective approach of Apollo 13: Survival creates a vivid atmosphere, it might not appeal to everyone. For instance, the documentary lacks in-depth technical analysis of the mission and provides only minimal context for the space race. The root causes behind the spacecraft’s accident are only briefly mentioned in the final credits. Ironically, at least in some technical respects, the 1995 film Apollo 13 starring Tom Hanks is able to provide more detailed information than this Netflix documentary.
Does this mean Apollo 13: Survival is a bad film? Not at all. Only that you should adjust your expectations accordingly. The documentary often feels like a mood piece, providing a window into the emotional tumult of those days. It would definitely work for those who are closely familiar with the story and want to explore it from a new perspective, or for viewers who want to understand the story without delving into technical details.
If you’re looking for a detailed, minute-by-minute analysis of the Apollo 13 accident, including an in-depth examination of its causes and technical challenges, you might come away disappointed. For more context, it would definitely help if you start with books, or even Wikipedia, and other documentaries to get a more comprehensive picture of the event before diving into this Netflix film.
