A Regra de Jenny Pen

This was a truly interesting film but also a fairly unsatisfying one. The premise of having psychological torment in a nursing home is a pretty original idea that was surprisingly well executed given how ridiculous the trailer made the movie look. Lithgow gives a nasty performance as one of the most hatable villains I've seen in a while, while Rush plays his part as protagonist with carefully calculated defiance and cynicism against Lithgow's sadism. The camera angles and editing choices were unique, disquieting, and overall effective in their mission of creating unease. I was a little frustrated with a few key plot points that seemed like they'd be discussed later on but instead were left on the back burner. As far as the psychological horror/abuse went in the film, it was effective. A little too much. The vile representations of sexual torment paired with the overall sadism got on my nerves a bit, even if it may have worked to psych me out. That being said, not a bad movie.

Just not my cup of tea.

Nothing amazing, but a decent little film, I thought. Better than many of the reviews here would lead you to believe. Definitely worth a watch, as long as you can suspend your disbelief about no-one having a mobile phone or there being no security cameras. Otherwise, this is original, engaging, very well acted, darkly humorous, well-shot, and thankfully not quite as grim or disturbing as I was expecting, given the subject matter - bullying in a old people's home.

It's not a supernatural horror, it's more of a dark thriller with horror elements. No gore, that I remember. Lithgow and Rush gave excellent and brave performances. Would recommend.

Not sure why people are giving this such low star ratings, very disturbing movie and Lithgow genuinely makes your skin crawl with the creep factor. This isn't a jump scare or gore scare movie, but even scarier in the idea that for many of us this is what we will face when we get old. Older people get taken advantage of and are very mistreated and this just showed the even darker side to that truth. I am not a fan of horror movies WHAT SO EVER and I am glad I saw this. I will say confused on why this movie is classified as a mystery though that part confused me ? Rush's acting is very believable as well, but Lithgow is the one that takes the movie to a new level. I felt sick to my stomach and had a feeling of dread come over me about getting older, so the movie did what it set out to do. Never have I hated a character than Lithgow ( well maybe the main guy in "nightingale" ) so he makes the movie a 9/10.

There's something inherently terrifying about losing control, and The Rule of Jenny Pen plays into that fear beautifully. Geoffrey Rush is compelling as Stefan Mortensen, a once-powerful judge who suffers a stroke and finds himself in a care home. The isolation and vulnerability he experiences are horrifying, even before the supernatural elements creep in. The fear of being forgotten or dismissed feels almost tangible. However, the film faltered in its execution. While it starts strong, introducing a tense and eerie atmosphere, the plot gets tangled in its own complexity. Some character choices felt exaggerated, and a few plot holes made me question the narrative. Despite that, the sense of dread stayed with me. It's a flawed film, but one that still offers a lot to think about.

A small-scale New Zealand production that managed to secure the not insignificant services of Oscar winning Australian acting icon Geoffrey Rush and screen legend John Lithgow, The Rule of Jenny Pen is a unique psychological horror that benefits greatly from the work of its co-leads but is let down by a wafer thin plot filled with Swiss cheese levels of holes and a sense it never culminates in a fashion befitting of its set-up.

Actor turned director James Ashcroft (who also co-writes here) starts things off in a promising enough way as watch Rush's long-serving judge Stefan Mortensen suffer a stroke while at work, leading him to a sad and depressive rest home that is being traumatised by John Lithgow's Dave Crealy and his hand puppet Jenny Pen, creating an eerie sense of dread and intrigue that Rush and Lithgow relish in, only to peter out in an increasingly far-fetched and repetitive fashion.

It's a premise that on paper may seem like something you'd find in a dark comedy offering or cult British TV show but there's nothing humorous going on here as Crealy's increasingly unhinged behaviour and Mortensen's intense battle to have his actions caught out ensure Jenny Pen is an unnerving experience but also a frequently frustrating one.

Built around a fairly out there premise that's played with an ever straight bat, there's an element of suspension of disbelief that needs to be accepted early into Ashcroft's offering but that's a requirement that can only take its audience so far as an inept bunch of staff, curiously dismissive character actions and hard to fathom decision making moments take us out of the experience as Jenny Pen struggles to keep its head above a rising water of unbelievable events and reactions.

With the tidal waves of disappointing moments coming thick and fast, there's no denying that Rush and Lithgow come out unscathed here with both actors delivering top-quality performances and their limited interactions together create some fantastically devious sparring matches, making one wish that the film around them was able to come together in the same fashion as it becomes more and more like a what might have been rather than a what is.

After a period of turbulence in his personal life and a career lull that has kept him to two acting roles in the past 6 years, it's particularly pleasing to see Rush back plying his trade and while his performance here won't be regarded up there with the best in amongst some top quality productions, it's a stern reminder of his talent that we hopefully get to see more of moving forward.

Final Say -

Initially inviting hopes of something great to come, The Rule of Jenny Pen gives way to an abundance of questionable story movements and repetitive happenings, leaving far too much of a weight on the shoulders of its game leading men.

2 incompetent staff members out of 5.