Pitch Black (2000)

Think of Pitch Black as Alien on a timer: stranded survivors, something nasty underground, and an eclipse on the way that puts the whole planet on the monsters’ night shift. The first act bleaches the screen until your eyes hurt, and the survivors are mostly job descriptions: a nervous antiques dealer, a kid with a secret, a holy man with a lot of faith. Then there’s Riddick. Vin Diesel walks in wearing goggles and chains, talking in that cement-mixer voice, and the movie realizes its bad guy is the most interesting person on the planet. Radha Mitchell’s Fry is the real heart, a pilot wrestling with a choice she made during the crash, and she holds her own against Diesel’s swagger. The creatures look a little dated now, and the scares work best when you can’t see them. It made $53.2 million worldwide on a reported $23M. A 6.6 because it’s a lean, clever B movie that happened to find a star. $368.03 says you look up when the next eclipse is and quietly plan to be indoors.

What works: The day-to-night gimmick is clever, Vin Diesel’s Riddick is an instant icon, and Radha Mitchell gives it a real conscience.

What doesn’t: Most of the survivors are thin sketches, and the creature effects look dated whenever the camera lingers.

Who it’s for: Fans of scrappy sci-fi survival movies who like their antiheroes quiet and their budgets lean.