Pitch Black | When the Dark Made Vin Diesel a Star

Forgotten Cinema
Aug 3, 2025
2 min read

Updated: Nov 12, 2025

Vin Diesel as Dick Riddick, the man with the glowing eyes, from Pitch Black

We're crash-landing on a hostile alien planet with Radha Mitchell, Cole Hauser, and one very dangerous escaped convict named Richard B. Riddick (Dick Riddick! His name is Dick Riddick!) as we revisit the 2000 sci-fi cult classic Pitch Black.

Directed by David Twohy, Pitch Black takes the familiar “ragtag survivors vs. deadly creatures” setup and gives it a fresh coat of cosmic dread. With its mix of claustrophobic tension, harsh desert landscapes, and nightmarish winged predators, the movie manages to punch above its budget—while also introducing the world to Vin Diesel as one of sci-fi’s most unlikely antiheroes.

Butler vs. Field: A Split Decision

Butler? He was 13 when this movie came out, and he still loves it (logic gaps and all). For Field? He doesn't dislike it…but he also might sound a little like a hater in this episode. We debate the film’s story logic, character arcs, and whether its “Aliens in the desert” vibe fully works.

Riddick: From Side Character to Franchise Star

One of the most interesting tidbits we cover? Riddick wasn’t supposed to survive. In the original script, the escaped murderer was set to meet a grimmer fate. But Vin Diesel’s magnetic performance (and behind-the-scenes support from the director, cast, and studio) changed that. The result? An unplanned redemption arc that not only saves Riddick but launches two sequels (The Chronicles of Riddick, Riddick)—with a third on the way—tentatively titled, Riddick: Furya.

Why Pitch Black Endures

Despite its flaws, Pitch Black remains a standout in the “space survival horror” sub-genre. Between its eerie lighting, simple but effective creature design, and a morally complicated lead, the movie carved out a space for itself alongside other cult-favorite “Aliens but different” films.

So does Pitch Black hold up 24 years later? Or is it just the movie that gave us Vin Diesel’s most interesting character? Join us as we break it all down.