‘Pendulum’ Poster Urges You to “Surrender Completely” to New Cult Horror From ‘Black Swan’ Writer

Surrender completely. That’s the unsettling command featured on the new poster for Pendulum, the upcoming cult horror film from Black Swan screenwriter Mark Heyman.

Pendulum marks Heyman’s feature directorial debut, with the filmmaker also writing the screenplay. Vertical will release the psychological horror film in theaters on January 1, 2027.

The film stars Joseph Gordon-Levitt (Inception), Phoebe Dynevor (Remain, Thrash), Jacki Weaver (Bird Box), Jena Malone (Love Lies Bleeding, The Neon Demon), and Norman Reedus (The Walking Dead).

Welcome to the Retreat

In Pendulum, married couple Patrick (Gordon-Levitt) and Abigail (Dynevor) travel to a new-age retreat in New Mexico after experiencing a traumatic event. Hoping the unconventional program can help Abigail heal, Patrick is willing to go to extreme lengths to save his wife.

But something about the retreat’s mysterious leader (Weaver) doesn’t sit right with Patrick.

As Abigail becomes increasingly drawn into the group’s teachings, Patrick grows more suspicious of the retreat and the practices taking place there. What begins as a search for healing soon becomes a terrifying descent into paranoia.

The couple must ultimately uncover whether the retreat’s spiritual practices are genuinely helping them—or hiding something far more sinister.

The new poster offers another cryptic glimpse at the film, suggesting that whatever awaits Patrick and Abigail inside the retreat is anything but therapeutic.

Darren Aronofsky Produces

Pendulum is produced by Darren Aronofsky through his Protozoa Pictures banner.

For Heyman, the film is particularly personal. The filmmaker says the story was inspired by his family’s history and that filming in New Mexico—where he grew up and where the real-life events occurred—added another layer of surrealism to the production.

Heyman also praised the film’s cast and teased what audiences can expect when Pendulum arrives next year, calling it a “freaky head trip” and an ideal way to kick off 2027.

Vertical’s Peter Jarowey similarly praised Gordon-Levitt and Dynevor’s performances, calling Pendulum an impressive and terrifying directorial debut from Heyman.

Whatever is waiting at this retreat, the new poster’s message is clear: surrender completely.