10 Sci-Fi Movie Deaths That Came Out Of Nowhere

Forgetting the middling sequels which followed it, Pitch Black is an ultra-stylish sci-fi horror flick that introduced audiences to steely, grizzled hero Riddick (Vin Diesel).

It's a ludicrously entertaining genre vehicle built on the uneasy partnership between Riddick and docking pilot Carolyn Fry (Radha Mitchell), both of whom seem capable enough that maybe, just maybe, they might survive.

And even if you figured Carolyn might die in a pivotal moment, her death at the tail-end of the movie nevertheless came totally out of nowhere.

After helping rescue Riddick from a bioraptor attack, poor Carolyn finds herself suddenly impaled by one of the creatures, which promptly drags her off into the night and she's never seen again.

Given that Carolyn had clearly "earned" the right to survive at this point in the movie, it was a total gut-punch, especially with the momentary tease that Riddick had stabbed her himself.

It's terrifically executed, completely shocking, and helps end the movie on a total bummer note despite Riddick making it out in one piece.