The Pit and the Pendulum
A bizarre descent into hell from the creator of Re-Animator.
R 1991 · 97 min · ★ 5.8 · Horror, Romance
Set during the height of Spanish Inquisition. The beautiful and kind-hearted Maria is arrested as a witch when she inadvertently cries out in horror at the public whipping of a child. As Maria’s husband Antonio tries to save her, Torquemada, the Grand Inquisitor, determines to punish Maria with torture for the desire she inflames in him. Loosely based on Edgar Allen Poe's classic short story.
Directed by Stuart Gordon · Written by Dennis Paoli
Your Rating
Where to Watch
Streaming
Rent or Buy
Cast
-
Lance Henriksen Torquemada -
Stephen Lee Gomez - W William Norris Dr. Huesos
-
Mark Margolis Mendoza -
Carolyn Purdy-Gordon Contessa D'Alba Molina - B Barbara Bocci Contessa's Son
-
Benito Stefanelli Executioner -
Jeffrey Combs Francisco -
Tom Towles Don Carlos - R Rona De Ricci Maria
-
Jonathan Fuller Antonio -
Oliver Reed Cardinal
Trailers & Videos
Make it a double feature
3h 3m together
Both from Stuart Gordon.
More from Stuart GordonSee all →
Masters of Horror · 2005Masters of Horror
★ 7.22005
SeriesDramaMystery
An anthology series written and directed by the most famous names in horror.
Re-Animator · 1985Re-Animator
★ 7.11985
MovieScience FictionComedy
Conducting clandestine experiments within the morgue at Miskatonic University, scientist Herbert West reveals to a fellow graduate student his groundbreaking work concerning the re-animation of fresh corpses.
Fear Itself · 2008Fear Itself
★ 6.82008
SeriesDramaMystery
A horror/suspense anthology series directed by the biggest horror directors working in feature films.
From Beyond · 1986From Beyond
★ 6.51986
MovieHorrorScience Fiction
The Resonator, a powerful machine that can control the sixth sense, has killed its creator and sent his associate into an insane asylum. When a psychiatrist becomes determined to continue the experiment, she unwittingly opens the door to a hostile parallel universe.
Dolls · 1987Dolls
★ 6.41987
MovieFantasyHorror
A precocious girl, her nasty parents, two punk-rock losers and a weak-kneed salesman inadvertently become the guests of two ghoulish senior citizens in their dark, haunted mansion.
Dreams in the Witch House · 2005Dreams in the Witch House
★ 6.42005
MovieThrillerHorror
A college student renting an old room in a boarding house discovers a plot by sinister, otherworldly forces to sacrifice his neighbor's infant.
Grave Encounters · 2011Grave Encounters
★ 6.32011
MovieThrillerHorror
A crew from a paranormal reality television show lock themselves in a haunted psychiatric hospital. They search for evidence of paranormal activity as they shoot what ends up becoming their final episode.
Honey, I Shrunk the Kids · 1989Honey, I Shrunk the Kids
★ 6.31989
MovieAdventureComedy
The scientist father of a teenage girl and boy accidentally shrinks his and two other neighborhood teens to the size of insects. Now the teens must fight diminutive dangers as the father searches for them.
Stuck · 2007Stuck
★ 6.22007
MovieCrimeThriller
A young woman commits a hit-and-run, then finds her fate tied to her victim.
Body Snatchers · 1993Body Snatchers
★ 6.21993
MovieHorrorScience Fiction
When Environmental Protection Agency inspector Steve Malone travels to a remote military base in order to check for toxic materials, he brings his family along for the ride. After arriving at the base, his teenage daughter Marti befriends Jean Platt, daughter of the base's commander, General Platt. When people at the base begin acting strangely, Marti becomes convinced that they are slowly being replaced by plant-like aliens.
Dagon · 2001Dagon
★ 6.12001
MovieFantasyHorror
A boating accident off the coast of Spain sends Paul and his girlfriend Barbara to the decrepit fishing village of Imboca. As night falls, people start to disappear and things not quite human start to appear. Paul is pursued by the entire town. Running for his life, he uncovers Imboca's secret..they worship Dagon, a monstrous god of the sea...and Dagon's unholy offspring are on the loose...
Fortress · 1992Fortress
★ 6.11992
MovieActionThriller
In the future, the inmates of a private underground prison are computer-controlled with cameras, dream readers, and devices that can cause pain or death. John and his illegally pregnant wife Karen are locked inside "The Fortress" but are determined to escape before the birth of their baby.
Castle Freak · 1996Castle Freak
★ 6.11996
MovieThrillerDrama
John Reilly discovers that his family's newly inherited castle in Italy is haunted by a relentless, bloodthirsty creature.
Edmond · 2006Edmond
★ 6.02006
MovieDramaThriller
Seemingly mild-mannered businessman Edmond Burke visits a fortuneteller and hears a remark that spurs him to leave his wife abruptly and seek what is missing from his life. Encounters with strangers and unsavory people weaken the barriers encompassing his long-suppressed rage, until Edmond explodes in violence.
King of the Ants · 2004King of the Ants
★ 5.92004
MovieCrimeDrama
A young drifter, struggling to makes ends meet, accepts a job to kill a prominent accountant. When he isn't paid for the hit, revenge is now his path.
Honey, I Shrunk the Kids: The TV Show · 1997Honey, I Shrunk the Kids: The TV Show
★ 5.91997
SeriesComedyAction & Adventure
The adventures of brilliant but befuddled scientist Wayne Szalinski, whose often-misguided projects wreak havoc on his family and friends.
More Like This
Wild at Heart · 1990Wild at Heart
★ 7.01990
MovieCrimeThriller
Young lovers Sailor and Lula hit the road to start a new life together away from the wrath of Lula’s deranged, disapproving mother, who has hired a team of hitmen to cut the lovers’ surreal honeymoon short.
Army of Darkness · 1992Army of Darkness
★ 7.31992
MovieFantasyHorror
Ash, a handsome, shotgun-toting, chainsaw-armed department store clerk, is time warped backwards into England's Dark Ages, where he romances a beauty and faces legions of the undead.
The Birds · 1963The Birds
★ 7.51963
MovieHorrorThriller
Thousands of birds flock into a seaside town and terrorize the residents in a series of deadly attacks.
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button · 2008The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
★ 7.62008
MovieDramaFantasy
Born under unusual circumstances, Benjamin Button springs into being as an elderly man in a New Orleans nursing home and ages in reverse. Twelve years after his birth, he meets Daisy, a child who flits in and out of his life as she grows up to be a dancer. Though he has all sorts of unusual adventures over the course of his life, it is his relationship with Daisy, and the hope that they will come together at the right time, that drives Benjamin forward.
Guys and Dolls · 1955Guys and Dolls
★ 6.61955
MovieComedyCrime
In New York, a gambler is challenged to take a Salvation Army missionary to Havana, and unexpectedly they fall for each other. And the bet has a hidden motive ... classic song and dance ensues!
Cry of the Banshee · 1970Cry of the Banshee
★ 5.41970
MovieHorror
In seventeenth century England Lord Whitman wages unending war on what he sees as the ever-present scourge of witchcraft, and many local villagers have suffered at his hands. But one victim uses her occult powers to curse his family, enlisting unknowing help from one of the household.
Bloody Pit of Horror · 1965Bloody Pit of Horror
★ 4.61965
MovieHorror
A photographer and his models go to an old, abandoned castle for a photo shoot. Unbeknownst to them, the castle is inhabited by a lunatic who believes himself to be the reincarnated spirit of a 17th-century executioner whose job it is to protect the castle against intruders.
Hagazussa · 2018Hagazussa
★ 5.72018
MovieHorrorDrama
In the 15th century, a young goatherd living alone in a mountain hut feels a dark presence in the woods.
Something Wicked This Way Comes · 1983Something Wicked This Way Comes
★ 6.51983
MovieFantasyMystery
In a small American town, a diabolical circus arrives, granting wishes for the townsfolk, but twisted as only the esteemed Mr. Dark can make them. Can two young boys overcome the worst the devil himself can deal out?
Teen Witch · 1989Teen Witch
★ 6.11989
MovieComedyFantasy
Louise is not very popular at her highschool. Then she learns that she's descended from the witches of Salem and has inherited their powers. At first she uses them to get back at the girls and teachers who teased her and to win the heart of the handsome footballer's captain. But soon she has doubts if it's right to 'cheat' her way to popularity.
The Most Dangerous Game · 1932The Most Dangerous Game
★ 6.91932
MovieThrillerAdventure
When legendary hunter Bob Rainsford is shipwrecked on the perilous reefs surrounding a mysterious island, he finds himself the guest of the reclusive and eccentric Count Zaroff. While he is very gracious at first, Zaroff eventually forces Rainsford and two other shipwreck survivors, brother and sister Eve and Martin Towbridge, to participate in a sadistic game of cat and mouse in which they are the prey and he is the hunter.
More on Prime VideoSee all →
NEW
Masterplan · 2026Masterplan
★ 7.12026
MovieActionThriller
When a legendary thief sets his sights on the Mona Lisa, he recruits two young strangers to help him before revealing they are long-lost siblings… and oh yes, by the way, he is their father. Thrown into a chaotic reunion they never asked for, this new family must learn to work together — and try not to kill each other — if they want any chance at pulling off the heist of the century.
NEW
Love of Your Life · 2026Love of Your Life
★ 6.82026
MovieRomanceDrama
After a chance encounter sparks a sweeping romance, Maya's future is suddenly upended, sending her on an unexpected journey to love and live again.
War of the Worlds · 2025War of the Worlds
★ 4.02025
MovieScience FictionThriller
Will Radford is a top analyst for Homeland Security who tracks potential threats through a mass surveillance program, until one day an attack by an unknown entity leads him to question whether the government is hiding something from him... and from the rest of the world.
The Love Hypothesis · 2026The Love Hypothesis
★ 8.02026
MovieRomanceComedy
Olive Smith, a biology PhD candidate, and Dr. Adam Carlsen, a hotshot professor and well-known tyrant, enter into a fake relationship, seeing each of their carefully calculated theories on love get thrown into chaos.
My Fault · 2023My Fault
★ 7.72023
MovieDramaRomance
Noah must leave her city, boyfriend, and friends to move into William Leister's mansion, the flashy and wealthy husband of her mother Rafaela. As a proud and independent 17 year old, Noah resists living in a mansion surrounded by luxury. However, it is there where she meets Nick, her new stepbrother, and the clash of their strong personalities becomes evident from the very beginning.
The Sheep Detectives · 2026The Sheep Detectives
★ 7.92026
MovieComedyFamily
George Hardy is a shepherd who reads detective novels to his beloved sheep every night, assuming they can't possibly understand. But when a mysterious incident disrupts life on the farm, the sheep realize they must become the detectives. As they follow the clues and investigate human suspects, they prove that even sheep can be brilliant crime-solvers.
The Wrecking Crew · 2026The Wrecking Crew
★ 7.12026
MovieActionComedy
Estranged half-brothers Jonny and James reunite after their father's mysterious death. As they search for the truth, buried secrets reveal a conspiracy threatening to tear their family apart.
The Last Sunrise · 2026The Last Sunrise
★ 6.82026
MovieRomanceDrama
Ry, a college student with a chronic illness, escapes to Mallorca for the summer with her mother, where she unexpectedly falls for a local and begins to embrace living in the moment. But as her condition worsens and long-hidden family secrets come to light, everything she has found before summer's end is threatened.
Masters of the Universe · 2026Masters of the Universe
★ 7.12026
MovieActionFantasy
After being separated for 15 years, the Sword of Power leads Prince Adam back to Eternia, where he discovers his home shattered under the fiendish rule of Skeletor. To save his family and his world, Adam must join forces with his closest allies, Teela and Duncan/Man-At-Arms, and embrace his true destiny as He-Man — the most powerful man in the universe.
Drawn Together · 2026Drawn Together
★ 7.02026
MovieRomanceThriller
Marfil, daughter of a powerful Spanish businessman, sees her life in New York turned upside down when she is kidnapped and released without explanation. Her father hires Sebastian Moore as bodyguard and, forced to spend every minute together, an inevitable attraction ignites in a world where nothing is as it seems.
Red One · 2024Red One
★ 6.92024
MovieActionAdventure
After Santa Claus (codename: Red One) is kidnapped, the North Pole's Head of Security must team up with the world's most infamous tracker in a globe-trotting, action-packed mission to save Christmas.
Jackpot! · 2024Jackpot!
★ 6.32024
MovieComedyAction
In the near future, a 'Grand Lottery' has been established - the catch: kill the winner before sundown to legally claim their multi-billion dollar jackpot. When Katie Kim mistakenly finds herself with the winning ticket, she reluctantly joins forces with amateur lottery protection agent Noel Cassidy who must get her to sundown in exchange for a piece of her prize.
The Runner · 2026The Runner
★ 6.72026
MovieThrillerAction
Maia Marten, a brilliant London lawyer, has her life shattered by a single call on her morning run: her son has been taken. To get him back, she must keep running, obey every ruthless command, and trust no one-each second a test of how far a mother will go to save her child.
You+Me - Against the World · 2026You+Me - Against the World
★ 5.52026
MovieRomanceDrama
Alma Lancaster, 18, appears to lead a perfect life within a wealthy family who believes she is studying law. In secret, she pursues her true dream: filmmaking. On campus, she meets Vadim Arcadi, 20, a magnetic and solitary rebel with a troubled past. Forced to collaborate on a student film, they clash, grow closer and fall in love — despite themselves. But someone is watching them, determined to tear them apart and expose secrets that could destroy both Alma and Vadim.
Your Fault · 2024Your Fault
★ 7.12024
MovieDramaRomance
The love between Noah and Nick seems unwavering despite their parents' attempts to separate them. But his job and her entry into college open up their lives to new relationships that will shake the foundations of both their relationship and the Leister family itself.
Pretty Lethal · 2026Pretty Lethal
★ 6.82026
MovieActionThriller
A troupe of ballerinas find themselves fighting for survival as they attempt to escape from a remote inn after their bus breaks down on the way to a dance competition.
Look Back · 2024Look Back
★ 8.22024
MovieAnimationDrama
Popular, outgoing Fujino is celebrated by her classmates for her funny comics in the class newspaper. One day, her teacher asks her to share the space with Kyomoto, a truant recluse whose beautiful artwork sparks a competitive fervor in Fujino. What starts as jealousy transforms when Fujino realizes their shared passion for drawing.
Crime 101 · 2026Crime 101
★ 7.02026
MovieCrimeThriller
When an elusive thief whose high-stakes heists unfold along the iconic 101 freeway in Los Angeles eyes the score of a lifetime, with hopes of this being his final job, his path collides with a disillusioned insurance broker who is facing her own crossroads. Determined to crack the case, a relentless detective closes in on the operation, raising the stakes even higher.
Another Simple Favor · 2025Another Simple Favor
★ 5.82025
MovieComedyThriller
Stephanie and Emily reunite on the beautiful island of Capri, Italy for Emily's extravagant wedding to a rich Italian businessman. Along with the glamorous guests, expect murder and betrayal to RSVP for a wedding with more twists and turns than the road from the Marina Grande to the Capri town square.
Heads of State · 2025Heads of State
★ 6.82025
MovieActionThriller
The UK Prime Minister and US President have a public rivalry that risks their countries' alliance. But when they become targets of a powerful enemy, they're forced to rely on each other as they go on a wild, multinational run. Allied with Noel, a brilliant MI6 agent, they must find a way to thwart a conspiracy that threatens the free world.
