Once some on-screen text relays a few key details of the when, where, and why of what’s happening, before you know it Apollo 11: Quarantine is off and running. There’s no narration or little talking head pop-ins, just gloriously restored footage from 1969 of when Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and Michael Collins returned from the first journey in which humans ever walked on the Moon–a coda to their space travels first covered in Apollo 11 from a couple years ago (which is easily one of the best documentaries ever for those who prefer just the facts to flowery interview tributes).

I missed out on Apollo 11: Quarantine‘s *gloriously restored* (really, it is) footage on the IMAX screen it deserves, but at least my home theater setup was still able to do the audio and picture justice. The sound of these massive ships plowing through waves during the ocean-set portion of astronaut recovery jumped out at me, but all throughout the brief runtime I found myself eagerly listening to every revitalized sound.

As for the picture, it feels less like a movie from 50 years after these events occurred and more like you’re right there looking through the camera lens as things unfold. Since there’s no outside influence to the proceedings aside from editing them together (i.e. narration or talking heads), the entire experience is left to the viewer. Anything you feel as it’s happening or thoughts you take away by the time credits roll are your own and I cannot express how much I love being given that option.

You may think feelings and thoughts are always your own when watching a movie, but that’s of course not exactly the case. In documentaries, especially, the intentions of the filmmaker are extremely influential as to what lens everything’s seen through. Often there’s a story one sets out to tell so the music, participants, flow, animations, etc. all inform the viewer as to what’s intended as humorous, tragic, or whatever the desired emotional goal.

Apollo 11: Quarantine doesn’t give any of those vibes. It’s simply a compacted retelling of the Moon landing aftermath through all manner of interesting footage. Whatever you glean from how society used to be compared to now, people’s different behaviors or social norms, or anything else that stands out is entirely up to the viewer. There’s nothing negative or even vaguely critical I have to say about the exquisite Apollo 11: Quarantine, except that I would have happily sat through another couple hours. Wanting more of something because it’s wonderful doesn’t lose points, though, so for the first time in all my reviews here…

10 out of 10 Exquisite Experiences