Best Use of a Solar or Lunar Eclipse in a Movie?

Ladyhawke features a climatic solar eclipse that allows the two star-crossed lovers to reunite after being cursed to be separated forever, as painfully depicted throughout much of this European medieval adventure romance.

Pitch Black features a planet with three orbiting suns and continuous daylight that is only broken by an eclipse that repeats every 22 years. On the eve of such an eclipse, a group of travelers are shipwrecked on the desolate planet. In order to survive, they must act quickly to evade the planet's predatory creatures, who only venture above ground under the cover of darkness provided by the eclipse.

Avatar: The Way of Water features a solar eclipse that occurs during a pivotal moment in the final battle scene.

Apocalypto depicts the Yucatán civilization (circa 1511), where Mayan leaders interpret a solar eclipse as a sign that the gods have been angered and claim their blood thirst must be satisfied.

Turning Red features a female family line who can transform into red pandas when excited. This inherited trait has served to protect their family over generations. But, the trait can be bothersome in a modern world with many opting to seal their panda spirit in a ritual on the night of a lunar eclipse with a talisman.

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story has a dramatic solar eclipse scene that occurs over a holy site located on the moon, Jedha. The eclipse is caused by The Death Star, a spherical space station that acts as an artificial moon to block the sun, when it moves into position to destroy the city.

Lara Croft: Tomb Raider features a solar eclipse that is part of a rare planetary alignment that allows access to a treasured relic that can control both space and time.

Baraka has no narrative or voice-over and explores themes via a compilation of natural events, life, human activities and technological phenomena. Its title is derived from the Islamic concept of baraka, meaning blessing, essence or breath. The documentary film was shot in 25 countries on six continents over a 14-month period. It includes a majestic eclipse segment that used 70mm Todd-AO format cinematography.

In the Fantasia's 'The Rite of Spring' film segment, a lunar eclipse takes place as the age of dinosaurs ends. When the solar eclipse is shown from space, a transformative period in earth's history wipes earth's slate clean and starts life anew upon the planet.

Gerald's Game features a solar eclipse during a memory flashback scene during which the lead female character is sexually assaulted as a youngster.

Hellboy features a lunar eclipse at the same time its title character opens a gate to hell during his battle with supervillain, Grigori Rasputin.

In Your Highness', Thadeous and Fabious, attempt to thwart the Warlock Leezar upon learning of his plan to overthrow King Tallious. He seeks to gain control of the kingdom by having a dragon at his command. Leezar plans to acquire one by impregnating a virgin when the two moons converge, fulfilling an ancient prophecy that the act will spawn the birth of a dragon.

In this film, the title character Dolores Claiborne argues with her husband, Joe during a solar eclipse. He has been abusing their daughter, as well as, intends to drink away her life's savings. While chasing her, Joe accidentally falls into an abandoned well and dies from his injuries.

2001: A Space Odysesey's opening sequence features an eclipse of the Sun by both the Earth and the Moon. The three bodies and the camera (which is further out in space) are perfectly aligned.

The backdrop for the film, Darkness is a house custom-built to perform a ritual sacrifice of seven children during a solar eclipse that happens only once every forty years.

Wolf Creek features a well-timed solar eclipse that heightens the suspense of the serial killer's pursuit of his victim, Ben across the Australian outback in this thriller.

In Sister Death, the prequel to the 2017 film, Verónica, a nun is blinded when she stares directly into a solar eclipse. The story intertwines the occult of the eclipse, the dark secrets of this particular convent, and the supernatural forces at work in the film.

The House of the Devil features a small-town university student who is hired to attend to an old woman overnight during a full lunar eclipse at a remote house by a pair of eclipse occultists.

In Veronica, the companion film to the 2023 film, Sister Death, a teenager is possessed by a demon after using an Ouija board with her closest friends, while most of her classmates watch a solar eclipse outside. The story intertwines the occult of the eclipse, the dark secrets of their teacher, Narcisa, aka Sister Death and is loosely based on true events from the 1990 Vallecas, Madrid case.

A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court features an American mechanic who uses his knowledge of an upcoming solar eclipse to save his own life and that of his friends. He has been transported back in time from Connecticut, U.S.A., circa 1912, to Arthurian Britain, circa 528.

Little Shop of Horrors stars Audrey II, a monstrous houseplant born as a result of a solar eclipse.

The climatic eclipse scene in the final film of the Berserk: Golden Age Arc anime film trilogy is the series' defining event of the entire magna, both symbolically and plot-wise.

The Kid Who Would Be King features a solar eclipse that will empower the wicked sorceress, Morgana, allowing her to enslave all of Britain. Only the wizard, Merlin and a band of schoolkids can prevent her from executing her evil plan in a race against time and the totality of the eclipse.

The Wild Thornberrys features a group of poachers who, under the cover of a solar eclipse, target an elephant herd traveling through the valley, only to be foiled by the Thornberry family.

The Seventh Sign details the Book of Revelation and a prophecy of a battle over an unborn child and features a solar eclipse as a key plot device.

Barabbas features a solar eclipse that supposedly took place during the crucifixion of Jesus of Nazareth. It details the choice of the Jewish people to spare Barrabas over Jesus, when given the choice by Roman Governor Pontius Pilate to spare either the criminal or the heretic for Passover. The scene was filmed using a real eclipse that occurred on February 15, 1961.

In the direct-to-video title, From Dusk Till Dawn 2: Texas Blood Money, a criminal gang of vampires robs a bank and attack the residents of a small Texas town. The residents appear to have defeated the gang with the dawn of the morning sun, but a solar eclipse turns the tide in the fight, putting the eventual outcome into question once again.

Dragonslayer features a climactic battle scene between a dragon and a dragonslayer set against the backdrop of a solar eclipse.

Perfect Strangers, aka Perfectos desconocidos (Spain, 2017) or Perfect Strangers, aka Perfetti sconosciuti (Italy, 2016)

features seven lifelong friends, a dinner party, a blood-red moon eclipse, and a game involving reading all seven cell phones' incoming messages. *The same lunar eclipse dinner story was originally told in Italian and remade the next year in Spanish.

The direct-to-video title, The Land Before Time X: The Great Longneck Migration, features a prophetic solar eclipse dream that drives the "longneck" tribe of dinosaurs to gather from around the globe to reunite in advance of actual eclipses every generation.

In the film, Judy Berlin, the town residents of Babylon, New York experience an hours-long solar eclipse upon which they wander the streets in search of finding meaning in their suburban lives.

The King's Daughter features the story of an underwater creature that can grant immortality to the King when her mermaid heart is ceremonially removed during an eclipse.

Wolfcop features the story of a small town deputy sheriff who has been transformed into a werewolf and uses his powers to fight crime. Unbeknownst to him, a cabal of reptilian shapeshifters intentionally planned his transformation, so they could sacrifice him during an eclipse. Thus, empowering themselves to hide their true identities and rule indefinitely.

Arctic Blast features a solar eclipse that sends a colossal blast of super-chilled air towards the earth. The event threatens to trigger a catastrophic chain of events that will start the dawn of another Ice Age and engulf the world in ice.

Another Movie Eclipse Example Not Listed (pictured example: Bloody Birthday)

In Bloody Birthday's opening act, three children are born at the same hospital while an eclipse is simultaneously occurring overhead