DVD Corner

The Rule Of Jenny Pen Review

“The Rule Of Jenny Pen” is worth seeing for John Lithgow and Geoffrey Rush alone.

Based on the short story by Owen Marshall and written for the screen by Eli Kent and James Ashcroft, “The Rule Of Jenny Pen” is a New Zealand indie psychological horror film. The story begins with Judge Stefan having a stroke in court. Shortly thereafter, Stefan takes up residence in an assisted living facility where he is largely confined to a wheelchair while recovering from his stroke. He doesn’t want to be there, but his condition is worsening and he is having severe memory loss.

The story kicks into gear when Stefan encounters an elderly resident named Dave. He’s an asthmatic loner who is frequently holding an eyeless hand puppet named Jenny. The unhinged Dave (who used to be a former staff member) seemingly has free reign of the facility and terrorizes the residents at night. Now, he has his sights set on Stefan. Dave has tormented Stefan’s cowardly roommate Tony (a former rugby player) in the past and he is deathly afraid of him. Even though Stefan tries to tell the staff about Dave, nobody seems to believe him. With no other options, Stefan has to try and stand up to Dave before he can cause further damage and before his body begins to deteriorate more and more. 

Directed by James Ashcroft (whose previous feature was “Coming Home In The Dark”), “The Rule Of Jenny Pen” has been receiving a fair amount of buzz as of late in the horror community. It’s not hard to see why. For starters, it’s refreshing (and important) to see a film about senior citizens. There’s a real lack of cinematic stories for this age group. With ‘Pen,’ Ashcroft has crafted a senior citizen horror story that tackles serious issues such as elder abuse and the improper care that seniors can receive at assisted living facilities. The facility where Stefan finds himself is filled with problems and uncaring employees, but the real horror lies within the deranged resident Dave. Dave is more mobile and agile than most of the residents there and, as such, preys on residents who cannot fight back or in some cases residents that aren’t aware of what is happening. That makes it all the more chilling. 

On the subject of Dave, John Lithgow gives a top notch performance as the deeply disturbing and mysterious character. In an already storied award winning career, he gives yet another performance that can easily be seen as one of his finest to date. Geoffrey Rush (another award winning actor) is also in fine form here as Stefan. Not only are his scenes with Lithgow positively electric, but he gives a very committed and realistic performance of a man dealing with the aftermath of a stroke. George Henare also deserves recognition here as Tony. He’s essentially the third central character here who has his own pivotal story arc. 

“The Rule Of Jenny Pen” is now in theaters.

March 9, 2025 - Posted by nicklyons1 | Movie Review | Geoffrey Rush, Horror Movie, John Lithgow, The Rule Of Jenny Pen Movie Review, The Rule Of Jenny Pen Review