Pitch Black
Directed by David Twohy7.058%77%6.9
A transport ship crashes and leaves its crew stranded on a desert planet inhabited by bloodthirsty creatures that come out during an eclipse.
Where to Watch Pitch Black
- RichardOctober 19, 2025Before Chronicles of Riddick went full space opera and Riddick tried to reboot the grit, there was Pitch Black, a lean, mean survival thriller that snuck into the year 2000 like a low budget comet and left a crater of cult fandom in its wake. And yes, I own it on DVD, because some movies deserve shelf space just for their atmosphere. The setup is simple: a transport ship crash lands on a desert planet with three suns, a ragtag crew and one very dangerous convict: Richard B. Riddick, played with gravelly charm by Vin Diesel. When an eclipse plunges the planet into darkness, the real threat emerges: bloodthirsty creatures that hunt in the shadows. Cue the flashlights, flares and moral dilemmas. The film’s strength isn’t just the creatures, hough they’re delightfully nasty, it’s the tension, the lighting and the way it plays with perception. Riddick’s glowing eyes aren’t just a gimmick; they’re a survival tool, a metaphor and a marketing hook all rolled into one. The cinematography leans into saturated colors and eerie silhouettes, making the most of its budget with style. A sci-fi horror gem that proves you don’t need a massive budget to build suspense. Pitch Black is atmospheric, brutal and surprisingly thoughtful, with Vin Diesel growling his way into antihero legend. On DVD, it’s a must own for fans of survival horror, creature features and dimly lit brilliance.
- ርልዪረFebruary 24, 2026🌒While most movies that pit humans against horrendous extra terrestrials end up being cheap imitations of the 'Aliens' series, Pitch Black stands as a fine piece of Sci-Fi, and an excellent movie all around. Perhaps my favorite aspect of the film is the lighting. This movie beautifully employs many different colors, shades and intensities of light which set the mood and lend a unique feeling to the film itself, something different than the 'normal' movie lighting we are generally subjected to. Vin Diesel brings his character to life in an excellent manner, skillfully avoiding the routine portrayal of the hardened criminal. After all, the film is about Riddick's (Diesel's character) personal journey, so thankfully Vin doesn't drop the ball. The remainder of the cast (with the exception of the talented and gorgeous Claudia Black) were unknown to me but all turned in marvelous performances, animating the diverse characters with unique quirks and mannerisms. Pitch Black is a perfect example of making a great film with out the resources of an excessive budget. The special effects are more than adequate, but at the same time they are by no means the sole focus, as in many high budget 'blockbusters'. It's a great movie because it uses Science Fiction as a medium to tell an engaging, provoking story, rather then telling a mediocre story to use the flash of Science Fiction.
- Spencer MBSeptember 15, 2025*Got the 4K remaster copy. Having learned about the process of filming and creating this movie and its sequels, it's incredible that these even got made. This first one perfectly balances horror, comedy and drama that has a pretty amazing payoff. There's a few shots in this that are hilarious.
Pitch Black Trivia
Pitch Black was released on February 18, 2000.
Pitch Black was directed by David Twohy.
Pitch Black has a runtime of 1h 48m.
Pitch Black was produced by Tom Engelman.
A transport ship crashes and leaves its crew stranded on a desert planet inhabited by bloodthirsty creatures that come out during an eclipse.
The key characters in Pitch Black are Richard B. Riddick (Vin Diesel), Carolyn Fry (Radha Mitchell), William J. Johns (Cole Hauser).
Pitch Black is rated R.
Pitch Black is a Thriller, Science Fiction, Action film.
Pitch Black has an audience rating of 7.7 out of 10.
Pitch Black had a budget of $23M.
Pitch Black has made $53.2M at the box office.