Based on the short story by New Zealand author Owen Marshall, The Rule of Jenny Pen takes place in a retirement home for the elderly. After suffering a stroke, arrogant judge Stefan Mortensen (Rush) finds himself confined in Royal Pine Mews retirement home. And there’s nothing he wants more than to leave.
However, while he’s there, he quickly learns that it’s by no means a safe space for him to relax and recover. One of the residents, the twisted Dave Crealy (Lithgow) wields his dementia doll and abuses the home’s inhabitants with it. His acts have devastating effects, and Mortensen takes the responsibility upon himself to put an end to the sadistic ‘Rule of Jenny Pen’ games. Check out the trailer:
What initially drew me to The Rule of Jenny Pen was the cast. The idea of seeing esteemed actors Geoffrey Rush and John Lithgow locking horns in a tense and dark dementia thriller, was very appealing to me. And wow, did it deliver on that front! Both Rush and Lithgow are exceptional: Rush as a misunderstood victim of abuse; and Lithgow as the unhinged elderly psychopath. Putting these two on screen together was always going to be killer collaboration, no matter the plot.
In this case, the story is fantastic. It’s tense and gripping, and it grabs you from the very first minute. The film sets the scene in a retirement home, which should be warm and cozy on the surface. However, it subverts this expectation and transforms it into a dark and claustrophobic place — occupied by a sadistic, psychopathic elderly man.
For Mortensen, it’s a prison. But for Crealy, it’s the place where he can inflict terror on the residents. Between the two of them, it’s a psychological battle of wits, and Crealy always seems to be one step ahead. Despite being set in a retirement home, following elderly people, the core story shares a very stark resemblance to a typical school bully narrative, where the workers are the teachers.
The hand puppet doll Crealy wields is used to inflict abuse on the fellow inhabitants of the retirement home. It’s almost like an extension of his arm. When he wears it, he feels empowered. It brings out his childish side. The puppet is very much the catalyst of his madness. That said, I don’t think Jenny Pen will overshadow other contenders for the scariest toys of 2025. The monkey from The Monkey will be my number one. The hand puppet from this movie is scary, but it’s Lithgow’s chilling performance that really strikes home fear.
Verdict
Director James Ashcroft managed to extract the absolute best from two of Hollywood’s most renowned stars. This film exemplifies a perfect psychological horror film. Additionally, its grounded nature makes it plausible that such an occurrence could actually happen. The exceptional performances throughout made it an utter delight to watch. I highly recommend that you check it out!
The Rule of Jenny Pen arrives in UK cinemas on March 14th from Vertigo Releasing. Naturally, it will be available for streaming in the US from March 7th at IFC Films and Shudder, AMC’s streaming service.
Rating: 4/5
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