THE RULE OF JENNY PEN (2024)

The Rule of Jenny Pen (2024)
Directed by: James Ashcroft
Written by: Eli Kent, James Ashcroft, Owen Marshall
Starring: Geoffrey Rush, George Henrare, John Lithgow

THE RULE OF JENNY PEN (2024)
Directed by James Ashcroft
In UK and Ireland Cinemas from 14th March 2025

After suffering a stroke whilst sentencing a criminal in court, Judge Stefan Mortensen unfortunately finds himself taking up new lodgings at a care home. Convinced this is a short stay until he can regain the use of the paralysed side of his body, Stefan tries to make the best of his situation. However, after witnessing one of the seemingly harmless residents abuse his roommate one night, he realises that his new home is anything but safe, and must do whatever he can to stop the resident’s reign of terror.

Tension-filled thriller THE RULE OF JENNY PEN is horror of a different kind in this terrifying New Zealand feature starring Academy Award nominee John Lithgow and Academy Award winner Geoffrey Rush as the join leads.

It’s so glorious to have Geoffrey Rush back on our screens. To say he’s a legend of an actor is an understatement. I absolutely adore him in everything I’ve seen him in, whether he’s flouncing around as the purveyor of written filth, the Marquis de Sade, in Quills, the smitten art collector in Deception or playing the flamboyant pirate Barbossa in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, he never fails to amaze. Once again, he absolutely nails it in THE RULE OF JENNY PEN as Judge Stefan Mortensen who’s struggling to accept his health is failing him after suffering a stroke. Wheelchair-bound and paralysed on one side of the body, his body may not be up to the task but his mind is still sharp… well, most of the time. At least he thinks.  and here, even when he’s silently struggling or reciting prose from Hemmingway, he’s as captivating as ever.

With my own grandfather having suffered a debilitating, paralysing stroke and ending up in a care home prior to his passing, I fully understood the position Rush’s character Stefan is in and how frustrating it must be. Like my grandfather, who was also a bit of a character and stood for no nonsense off anyone, for Stefan to find himself unable to walk, bathe himself, hold a knife and fork properly, or do much for himself, yet compos mentis, is essentially like being trapped in your own body – especially when living in a place, day-in, day-out, with people you wouldn’t normally associate with. Horrible stuff goes on. We hear how staff treat the residents, which isn’t always nice. But then there’s the residents themselves. My grandfather told us how people would steal out of his room and there’s nothing he could do about it – knowing full well that if he was able-bodied he’d have grabbed them by the scruff of the neck and launched them into the corridor for even sneaking into his room. He had food pinched from him and felt his dignity had been taken, having to rely on others to do even the most basic of things. It’s like regressing back to childhood, becoming dependent on others. On top of that, living in a care home is like being back at school or serving time in prison, where you’re stuck with the same people every day, whether you like it or not. And at this care home in THE RULE OF JENNY PEN, there’s a particular person who isn’t who he makes out to be.

John Lithgow puts in a devilish turn as Dave Crealy, another resident of the care home who suffers mentally and copes and communicates by constantly using a hand puppet he’s named Jenny Pen – a plastic baby doll whose eyes have been removed. To say it’s creepy as hell is only the start of it – wait til you see what he does with it! Crealy is not what he seems and though he might have the staff at the care home fooled, the majority of the residents know exactly who he really is as he pays them visits during the night, armed with his accomplice Jenny Pen. His acts are humiliating and frightening, and like kids dealing with a school bully, many shudder with fear at the thought of Crealy’s visits and do their best to stay out of his way, hoping that if they do so, he’ll forget about them. But Crealy never forgets. He gets his kicks out of the torment, and he’s got someone new to play with in the shape of Stefan…

THE RULE OF JENNY PEN is such a difficult watch in many ways, partly because of my grandfather’s experience and because I hate seeing elder abuse. Throughout most of the running time, my face was a screwed up ball of disgust and anger, wanting to reach through the screen and punch Crealy and rip that puppet right off his hand – which can only be a kudos to John Lithgow for portraying the character so well. Rush’s Stefan Mortensen represents us, someone who’s mortified by what’s going on and who won’t take Crealy’s abuse lying down, and when he pushes back it’s a glorious fist pump in the air. Life isn’t so simple though, and Stefan comes across his own hurdles he needs to navigate, but all the while we’re rooting for Stefan to serve Crealy some just desserts. Like when faced with a tormentor at school or at work, ignoring a bully gives them more power to continue. The only way to make them stop is to give them a taste of their own medicine. Don’t back down and show them what you’re made of. Let them know you won’t be one of their victims. Understandably, it’s easier said than done, and outside of it we have Crealy dishing out some truly horrifying acts, and nearly always with that demonic dolly puppet of his in tow, which is haunting in its own right.

The tension is palpable as the residents brace themselves for Crealy and Jenny’s presence. Whether it’s his appearance in the common room or watching out for his feet to appear beneath the crack of the bedroom door as he stalks his prey, Crealy’s arrival is something the residents all dread. The fear on their faces says it all and you wonder why the staff haven’t picked up on the fact that Crealy’s a problem, conveniently only witnessing him play the victim. Even I found myself anxiously anticipating Crealy’s next move, my mind racing at what else he’s got in mind for his victims and hoping that somehow he’s stopped before he can unleash more of his cruelty.

The story of THE RULE OF JENNY PEN and the performances from John Lithgow, Geoffrey Rush and George Henrare prove that there’s never a dull moment to be had in this film. However it’s not a movie I’d want to watch again due to the stress I felt doing so. It’s not an easy watch at all. It’s quite heart-breaking in many ways, not just how the residents are treated by Crealy, but also how some of the staff treat them, believing some and not others, and witnessing the suffering that some of the residents are going through, such as dementia, and how that’s taken advantage of. Whilst there are a few positive moments, it’s overall a very sad and sobering experience, as though it is book-ending a life by mimicking how it started. The loss of a sharp and brilliant judge doling out justice in court and a professional former rugby star who represented his country on the world stage. Individuals who, in their twilight years, are unable to look after themselves and are at the mercy of others who take advantage of them. It’s devastating to witness. When all’s said and done in life, is that all we have to look forward to if we unfortunately lose our good health?

As events snowball, THE RULE OF JENNY PEN pays off in a way which is more of a relief than anything else, proving that this thriller is more than just an old guy terrorising people with a sinister doll. Some of the scenes are terrible and unsettling to behold, but, whilst exaggerated, convey a very real issue we must all consider.