Pitch Black falters a bit in its last half-hour-the film's darkest moment reduces Diesel to delivering a pithy one-liner-but for the most part, it's terrific.

David Twohy's film undoubtedly has something interesting about it, and that something can be summarised in two words: Vin Diesel.

A smart, suspenseful sci-fi movie from director Twohy, whose underrated 1996 film, The Arrival, also brought visual imagination and intelligence to the genre.

A small creature feature with a pair of great lead performances from Mitchell and Diesel. The visual effects are dodgy at times, but the concept and Twohy's execution, as well as plus unexpected narrative subversions, make this an underrated classic.