The Rule of Jenny Pen
Martin Scorsese Teaches Filmmaking
A judge recovering from a stroke is tormented by a fellow patient and his dementia doll in The Rule of Jenny Pen. Judge Stefan Mortensen (Geoffrey Rush) has a near-fatal stroke that leaves him partially paralyzed and admitted into a retirement home. Not expecting his stay to be very long, Mortensen has a poor relationship with the staff and his roommate Tony Garfield (George Henare). It isn’t long before Mortensen learns that the retirement home is terrorized at night by Dave Crealy (John Lithgow), a sadistic resident who forces others to acknowledge the rule of his doll Jenny Pen or else be subject to cruelty and torture.
The Rule of Jenny Pen Synopsis
The Rule of Jenny Pen is a psychological New Zealand horror film from co-writer and director James Ashcroft (Coming Home in the Dark), based on the short story of the same name by Owen Marshall. The film stars Oscar-winner Geoffrey Rush, in his first film role in six years, as Judge Stefan Mortensen, who in the opening scene suffers from an immense stroke while he is delivering a sentence. Confined to a wheelchair as a result, Mortensen is admitted into a retirement home as he recovers from the stroke.
Mortensen isn’t at the retirement home for long when he sees Dave Crealy, played immensely creepily by John Lithgow (Dexter, Conclave), sitting in the corner and staring at him. To the staff of the retirement home, Dave is an innocent man suffering from dimensia, who communicates with the help of his doll “Jenny Pen.” However, during the night, Dave reveals himself to be a sadistic psychopath who enjoys torturing the other residents.
My Thoughts on The Rule of Jenny Pen
As only the second feature film for New Zealand-based director James Ashcroft, it a major casting accomplishment for The Rule of Jenny Pen to be led by Geoffrey Rush and John Lithgow. While Lithgow is no stranger to playing dark and sadistic characters, most notably the Trinity Killer on Dexter, Geoffrey Rush hasn’t had a notable credit in a horror film since the remake of House on Haunted Hill back in 1999. The Rule of Jenny Pen ends an acting hiatus for Rush, who was last seen in the 2019 Australian film Storm Boy, with his last American film being Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales in 2017.
While his ability to maintain a New Zealand accent is questionable, the most notable aspect of The Rule of Jenny Pen is John Lithgow’s performance. While the film includes hints of a possible supernatural element, with the light shining through Jenny Pen’s hollow head giving the doll a demonic appearance, the horror of the film is ultimately horror of the human variety. Dave Crealy is a sadist and a bully and he will continue torturing a target until they break or worse.
Despite being led by two actors with plenty of accolades between them, The Rule of Jenny Pen did not feel entirely satisfying as a horror film. While the performances are solid, particularly from John Lithgow, the resolution of the film felt somewhat rushed. The end result is The Rule of Jenny Pen being a film that may be worth a watch, but I would recommend skipping the theatrical release and wait for its streaming debut on Shudder.
Trailer for The Rule of Jenny Pen
