Pendulum Teaser Sends Joseph Gordon-Levitt to a Sinister Retreat
The first Pendulum teaser sends Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Phoebe Dynevor to a New Mexico retreat ahead of the film’s January 1, 2027 release.
The first Pendulum teaser sends Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Phoebe Dynevor into a New Mexico retreat where healing appears to come with a supernatural cost. Vertical will release the film in U.S. theaters on January 1, 2027.
Mark Heyman wrote and directed the film. Gordon-Levitt and Dynevor lead a cast that also includes Norman Reedus and Jacki Weaver, with Darren Aronofsky among the producers.
Pendulum Teaser hints at A retreat with something darker underneath
The story follows a couple seeking recovery after a traumatic event. Their destination promises renewal, but the teaser quickly replaces serenity with ritual, distrust and an escalating supernatural threat. It keeps the exact rules hidden while establishing the retreat as a place designed to exploit vulnerability.
Opening on New Year’s Day gives Pendulum a distinctive position just outside the crowded holiday corridor. The ensemble and the creative team make it more than a routine January genre release, while the teaser wisely sells atmosphere instead of explaining the mystery.
What We Think
Joseph Gordon-Levitt in a horror movie with cult-like vibes written by Mark Heyman? You have our attention. Wellness retreats are effective horror settings because they ask characters to surrender control in the name of transformation, which usually has us screaming at the screen, “Don’t listen to them!” while feeling like we’re just a few steps ahead of the characters.
The cast is strong, the imagery is unsettling, and the teaser leaves enough unanswered that the January release is now firmly on our watch list.
Sources: Vertical’s official teaser and Dread Central.
