Pitch Black Ending Explained – Pitch Black is a 2000 American science fiction action-horror film directed by David Twohy and co-written by Twohy, brothers Ken and Jim Wheat from an original story conceived by Jim Wheat. Starring Vin Diesel, Radha Mitchell, Cole Hauser, and Keith David in lead roles, the story centres around Richard B. Riddick – an assassin who escapes while being transported to prison aboard a spacecraft after it crashes on an empty desert planet due to comet debris. When predatory creatures attack survivors in this world, he joins forces with them in order to escape from there.
Pitch Black was the final film produced by PolyGram Filmed Entertainment before they merged with Universal Pictures during production. Filmed on a modest budget of US$23 million, Pitch Black received mixed reviews from critics. Upon viewing the visual style and Diesel’s performance in “Detroit,” viewers were delighted. Unfortunately, lack of exploration into the alien world and repeated human conflicts were noted as significant shortcomings. Despite mixed reviews, Riddick became a sleeper hit, grossing over $53 million worldwide and spawning an entire franchise centred on the antihero Riddick. Universal released The Chronicles of Riddick in 2004, with Diesel reprising his role as Riddick and Twohy returning as writer/director. Finally, in 2013, Diesel and Twohy reunited again for another film entitled Riddick.
Recommended: ’65’ Movie Ending, Explained – Is Mills and Koa Able To Escape From Earth?
Pitch Black Movie Plot Synopsis
Set in the distant future, the sci-fi film Pitch Black follows the story of the Hunter-Gratzner, a spaceship carrying several passengers in cryostasis: a Muslim priest and three young pilgrims, as well as a teenager, rich merchant, bounty hunter William J. Johns who is accompanying dangerous criminal Richard B. Riddick who has surgically modified eyes that are highly sensitive to light. Unfortunately, when hit by micrometeoroids, the ship crashes into the planet with perpetual daylight from three suns; most passengers survive, but most die, including its captain and first officer.
As the survivors explore Earth, they come across an abandoned geological research settlement, and two prospectors named Zeke and Shazza have vanished. Their docking pilot, Carolyn Fry, manages to escape from aggressive creatures in time to find Zeke’s remains in their cave. Johns then offers Riddick a deal: help the survivors escape the planet, and Johns will let him go free. Riddick accepts as they set out searching for a power cell for their dropship while being pursued by photosensitive creatures.
Returning to the crash site to retrieve more power cells, they realize an eclipse is imminent, and creatures will be free to hunt above ground. Riddick leads the group on foot through the darkness with his enhanced sight to avoid them. They construct a rig from the ship’s lighting rods as protection, but Paris accidentally destroys it and gets devoured. Johns suggests using Jack as bait, but Riddick fights him off and wounds him before leaving him as a distraction.
Riddick decides to launch the dropship himself after losing several group members, while Fry begs him to help save them. After being persuaded, he eventually agrees and returns with Imam and Jack but is separated and wounded by predators. Fry tries to rescue Riddick but is stabbed and carried off by a creature. During the flight, Jack asks Riddick what they should tell authorities about him; Riddick replies that they should say that Riddick died on the planet.
Pitch Black became a surprise hit, grossing over $53 million worldwide and spawning an entire franchise centered on antihero Riddick. Critics gave it mixed reviews; some praised some promising story elements and Diesel’s performance but criticized the lack of exploration into an alien world or recycled human conflicts. Nonetheless, its success led to two sequels – Chronicles of Riddick and Riddick – with Diesel and Twohy reuniting as the title character and writer/director, respectively.
Pitch Black (2000) Ending Explained
Riddick, in the movie, is initially portrayed as a vicious killer with no regret for his deeds. This may lead one to believe he is the antagonist, and the plot will unfold like a typical slasher thriller. But as they face greater dangers, viewers start seeing Riddick differently; Carolyn has an uncertain moral compass and self-serving attitude, yet she still decides to give Riddick another chance despite Johns’ efforts at convincing her not to trust him by recounting details about Riddick’s past escape attempts.
Johns, invading an abandoned spaceship, convinces them to fix it before returning to their crashed ship for battery cells. Unfortunately, due to eclipsing suns, they become trapped inside, with alien predators picking them off individually. Once it becomes light-sensitive for these nocturnal aliens, Riddick takes command and leads the group across a dark desert with swarms of deadly aliens in pursuit.
After many close encounters with aliens and a disagreement between Riddick and Johns, only Carolyn, the Imam, Jack, and Riddick remain. Their predicament becomes even worse when the aliens start attacking each other – creating a scary scene of chaos. With rain pouring down and their fire torches nearly extinguished, Riddick leads the others into a nook in the rocks while remaining behind to lock up the entrance.
Carolyn, who discovers glowing bugs in the cave, follows Riddick as he attempts to leave the planet. Riddick attempts to convince her to join him, but Carolyn can’t ignore those glowing bugs. In the end, Riddick rescues everyone else but loses Carolyn along the way; nonetheless, his group manages to escape with battery cells, and Riddick gains respect from his fellow travellers.
Must Read: Is Lifetime’s Film “The Surrogate Scandal” Based on a True Story?
