Pitch Black was the film that turned Vin Diesel into a star and it remains a high point for him. He plays an infamous criminal who is turned loose after the ship crash lands on a remote planet. Of course there is something out there, but just what the survivors are not entirely sure. Riddick has a unique ability that gives him the edge at night when the aliens appear. This low budget indie really shook up the science fiction genre managing to deliver an atmospheric and thrilling romp with a cast of unknowns. Twohy does a grand job of building up the tension and giving the planet an alien feel. It's a real shame that the sequel ignored many of the strengths on show here.
It's a sci-fi film. It's about the survivors from a crashed spaceship fighting off hostile alien creatures. That's it – so far, so much the same as just about every other space fiction film you've ever seen. Vin Diesel stars as a bad-boy muscle-bound see-in-the-dark convict lending a hand fighting off the aliens and turning out to be Mr Nice Guy in the end. It's a boy's film but quite enjoyable of its kind. 3/5 stars. Recommended.