Pitch Black (2000)
12-month trend
12-month trend
Monthly article views
2025-09 to 2026-08
A group of survivors must navigate a deadly landscape and a looming eclipse while being hunted by predatory creatures.
The story
In the year 2678, the spaceship Hunter-Gratzner is struck by micrometeoroids, forcing an emergency landing on a desert planet. The survivors, including a group of students, a merchant, and a law enforcement officer, find themselves stranded. Among them is the dangerous criminal Richard B. Riddick, who escapes his captors during the chaos. As the group searches for a way to escape, they discover that the planet is home to predatory creatures that emerge during a total eclipse. With the eclipse approaching, the survivors must decide whether to trust the enigmatic Riddick to lead them through the darkness to safety.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
After the Hunter-Gratzner crashes on a desert planet, the survivors are hunted by creatures that hide from the sun. The group discovers that a total eclipse is imminent, which will allow the creatures to roam freely. They find a derelict settlement and a nonfunctional dropship. Amidst the tension, the lawman Johns and the criminal Riddick compete for the trust of the pilot, Fry. As the eclipse begins, the creatures emerge, and the group must reach the dropship. Riddick, who possesses night vision due to surgically altered eyes, is recruited to lead them through the darkness. During the escape, several members are killed by the creatures. Riddick eventually reveals the truth about the others' identities and sacrifices. In the final confrontation, Fry and Riddick are separated by the creatures; Fry is killed while trying to save the others. Riddick successfully launches the remaining survivors into space, telling them he died on the planet.
- Original title
- The Chronicles of Riddick: Pitch Black
- First release year
- 2000
- Runtime (minutes)
- 108
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- David Twohy
- Writers
- David Twohy · screenplay; Ken Wheat · story; Jim Wheat · story
- Cast and characters
- Vin Diesel · Richard B. Riddick; Radha Mitchell · Carolyn Fry; Cole Hauser · William J. Johns; Rhiana Griffith · Jack; Keith David · Abu al-Walid; Lewis Fitz-Gerald · Paris P. Ogilvie; Claudia Black · Sharon "Shazza" Montgomery; John Moore · John "Zeke" Ezekiel
- Genres
- science fiction; action; horror
- Themes
- survival; trust; sacrifice
- Tone and mood
- tense; dark; action-packed
- Premise and plot tags
- space exploration; monster hunt; survival horror
- Franchise connections
- The Chronicles of Riddick
- Reception
- The film received mixed reviews from critics, who praised its visual style and Vin Diesel's performance but criticized its reliance on cliches and failure to expand on the core premise.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 59% · scale: percentage · review count: 113; Metacritic · score: 49 · scale: 100 · review count: 29
- Production trivia
- The film was the final film credit of PolyGram Filmed Entertainment.; It was shot on a modest budget of US$23 million.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
Your lists
Loading your lists…