Trailer

The Pit and the Pendulum

1961Movie1 h 20 min

76
GreatGoodWatch score

A tense, scary horror movie about history and the mind.

Good for date night · friends night · teens

Skip it if you scare easily

Where to watch

Fingerprint

Not for warmth, laughs or comfort.

Movies with

Story

Betrayal cuts both ways!

In the sixteenth century, Francis Barnard travels to Spain to clarify the strange circumstances of his sister's death after she had married the son of a cruel Spanish Inquisitor.

Feels like

  • Roger Corman Horror
  • Gothic Horror
  • Edgar Allan Poe Adaptation
  • Spanish Inquisition
  • Psychological Thriller
  • Visually Atmospheric
  • Claustrophobic
  • 1960s Cinema
  • Vincent Price Performance

Cast

Crew

Directed by
Roger Corman
Produced by
Roger Corman
Music by
Les Baxter

Everyone

Pick a department, or search for a name or a job (“editor”, “stunt”).

Facts

August 12, 1961 · 1 h 20 min · Violence, Disturbing Imagery

Released
August 12, 1961
Runtime
1 h 20 min
Content
Violence, Disturbing Imagery
Genres
Horror, Mystery, Drama
Original language
English
Made in
United States
Budget
$200,000
Box office
$2 million
Available in
94 countries

Tropes

Haunted Castle, Irony, Used to Be a Sweet Kid +9

  • Haunted Castle
  • Irony
  • Used to Be a Sweet Kid
  • Gorgeous Period Dress
  • Battle Butler
  • Überwald
  • Clothing Damage
  • Gothic Horror
  • And I Must Scream
  • Troubled Backstory Flashback
  • Femme Fatale
  • Disney Villain Death

12 of 43 tropes. From TV Tropes.

Q&A

4 questions, like "Where can I stream The Pit and the Pendulum?"

Questions about The Pit and the Pendulum

Quick answers from GoodWatch data.

Where can I stream The Pit and the Pendulum?

In the United States, The Pit and the Pendulum streams on Prime, fuboTV, MGM+, Philo, and ScreenPix, and it is free with ads on Tubi TV. You can rent or buy it from Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, and Fandango At Home. It also streams in 5 other countries.

Is The Pit and the Pendulum worth watching?

76
GreatGoodWatch score

Mostly, it's well received, with a GoodWatch score of 76 (IMDb 7, Letterboxd 3.5 out of 5, Rotten Tomatoes 89%, and Metacritic 78). Critics rate it higher (84 out of 100) than audiences (70).

Will The Pit and the Pendulum scare me?

Not scaryTerrifying

Yes, it's frightening: scares are rated 8 of 10.

What tropes does The Pit and the Pendulum use?

Haunted CastleIronyUsed to Be a Sweet KidGorgeous Period DressBattle ButlerÜberwaldClothing DamageGothic HorrorAnd I Must ScreamTroubled Backstory FlashbackFemme FataleDisney Villain Deathand 31 more

TV Tropes lists 43 tropes for it, including Haunted Castle, Irony, and Used to Be a Sweet Kid.