You really need to check the Yelp reviews before you drive out into the desert for a New Age retreat…you never know when you’re going to accidentally find yourself part of a cult.

That’s the problem faced by Joseph Gordon-Levitt in Pendulum. He plays Patrick, a man who is trying to help both himself and his wife Abigail (Phoebe Dynevor) following a shared tragedy. (The trailer opens with a scene in the couple’s nursery.) They go out to the New Mexico desert to stay at a secluded compound run by hippie throwback types and led by their enigmatic leader played by Oscar-nominee Jacki Weaver.

Also on hand are The Walking Dead‘s Norman Reedus, Anna Deavere Smith, Justin Peach and Jena Malone. Patrick feels he’s losing Abigail as she falls deeper under the spell of the cult…can he save her before she’s lost forever?

The trailer lighting bathes everything in a murky gold, the soundtrack pulses with eerie music cues, and we see quick cuts of terrifying things flash by: sigils, symbols, jaws that open a little too wide, and what might be an undead baby lying alone on the forest floor.

At the end, a growly voice intones “There is no such thing as death.” Yikes.

Pendulum was written and directed by Mark Heyman in his feature film debut, and produced by Darren Aronofsky (The Whale, Mother!). Heyman and Aronofsky collaborated on Black Swan as co-writers; Aronofsky directed that film.

Pendulum is being released by Vertical in theaters on January 1st, 2027.