The Rule of Jenny Pen

6/10 STARS - John Lithgow has the most pinchable face when he's playing a baddie and this movie was no exception. The Rule of Jenny Pen is a new movie based on a short story written by Owen Marshall, and it tells the story of a judge who suffers a stroke and ends up in an elder-care facility. While there, he becomes aware of another resident in the home who routinely bullies and abuses the other patients. This sets up the conflict between the judge and the bully, which is the framework of the story. This movie didn't hold back from depicting the sad reality many elderly people face when they near the end of their life and are no longer able to live safely on their own. In this case, it is made even worse because of the vicious bully in their midst. It was interesting to see these two magnificent actors "facing off" against each other through their characters. Both men are masters in their profession, and it shows in this film. I do have a couple of issues with it though. One is the runtime. While it's not terribly long (the film clocks in at an hour and 43 minutes), the repetitive nature of some situations feels like it drags the movie down a touch. Second issue is that with all of the problems this bully causes, I find it hard to suspend my disbelief that his actions could go completely unnoticed by the staff, especially given how long he has been in the facility and how routinely he terrorizes the occupants. Those are rather minor complaints and not enough to detract significantly from my appreciation for this film. Video review on my YouTube channel.

A former Judge has a stroke, he enters a nursing home that occupies an elderly psychopath who is fixated on a child's puppet to abuse the elderly residents of their shared nursing home with deadly consequences. Geoffrey Rush and John Lithgow gives a masterclass on acting, the story is good, but the film misses the mark on logic. Where was the security cameras, and the nursing staff on duty when all of this chaos and murder was happening? The protagonist Lithgow kept me glued to the screen & Rush also. I wanted more realism but otherwise it was en enjoyable film. A 6 out of a 10 for the acting alone.

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.

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.

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.