The Rule of Jenny Pen (2024) - Movie Review

What if I told you two of the most accomplished theater and movie actors of all time teamed up for a horror film? What if I told you that both gave performances above and beyond what anyone would ever expect for an indie?

Let’s discuss….

The Rule of Jenny Pen is a 2024 psychological thriller from writers Eli Kent, Owen Marshall, and writer/director James Ashcroft. You may not recognize Ashcroft as a director, but you’d recognize him from his extensive array of acting performances in various New Zealand films and television shows. As far as I can tell, this is only his second feature film directing gig, and by god, did he knock it out of the park. Kent and Marshall are fairly unknowns, as it looks like they’re just entering careers as writers; both worked on Ashcroft’s previous production, 2021’s Coming Home in the Dark. Marshall wrote the short story the film is based as well.

And yes, more than 2 writers is normally the kiss of death, but this is different. This is a team that works together seamlessly. This isn’t a group that the studio piled up due to reshoots, producer tweaks.

This group had a shared vision, and they produced a movie that kept me on the edge of my seat from beginning to end.

The film focuses on a respected judge who is forced into retirement due to a stroke. His insurance provides him with a room in a recovery center that doubles as a retirement home. However, he has no intention of staying. He plans on regaining the use of his legs and getting back to work, but when he starts having blips and losing time, he begins to worry he’s losing his mind. Things go from bad to worse when he crosses the rest home bully, a psychotic patient with a puppet and an axe to grind. The bully is relentless, unpredictable, and vicious. Day and night, he torments the judge alongside his puppet, but as things continue, the judge begins to wonder if the man is controlling the puppet or if it’s the other way around. Will the judge be the next body found floating, or will he find a way to end the rule of Jenny Pen?

This movie is Bubba Ho-Tep meets Misery.

That’s the best way to describe how it made the group that I watched with feel. This is a film about getting old, about losing control, and about the predators who exploit the helpless. It’s about the apathy of the healthcare workers when it comes to the elderly. It will also make you laugh out loud. Given, you might be laughing because what’s happening is uncomfortably believable due to the quality of actors involved.

Jeffery Rush is unrecognizable in his role. If you’ve seen the trailer, you may not have even recognized him. The makeup and physical performance mask his trademark smile and mannerisms, but that voice is still present. He’s one of the greatest line readers who's ever lived, and he pulls out all the stops here, facing off against an equally talented foe. His intensity, as a man confined to an electric wheelchair, is palpable. You want him to win, to find a way to fight, even though you know he doesn’t stand a chance.

John Lithgow makes a rare film appearance here, and it’s easy to see why. Lithgow is a living legend, and he’s never been afraid to step off the edge for his performances. He’s also been semi-retired from film acting for the last decade as he returned to the stage again. He made the odd appearance here and there, like his Emmy-award-winning performance as the Trinity Killer in Dexter. He began his career playing good guys, and in Life According to Garp, a good girl, but it’s obvious where his heart lies. He likes playing the villain. He’s a natural heel. However, his villainous roles have often been relegated to B-movies like Cliffhanger and Raising Cain. This film gives him room to spread his wings and go full psycho, and it’s all the more brilliant for it.

This is one of Lithgow’s creepiest performances.

This film is brutal, but without gore. It’s violent without really showing anything in frame. Everything is implied, just off-screen, exactly how Alfred Hitchcock liked it. There isn’t much of a story or backstory. You’re given just enough to flesh out the players involved, but not enough to be fully comfortable with any of them. It makes you wonder what any of them is truly capable of. The film is much more like an Italian Giallo. Not that it’s colorful or overtly stylish, but it's a film about an outsider who takes it upon themselves to try and solve a horrible crime without the need for any exposition. That’s not to say there isn’t a story, but the film doesn’t spoon-feed it to you.

The film is shot beautifully and uses every single technique that makes the viewer uncomfortable. Fish Eye lenses, Dutch Angles, and masterful use of silhouette photography all combine to ramp up the tension. Which goes hand in hand with the fantastic score by Aminé Ramer and team.

This is an uncomfortable, visceral examination of the loss of control not only over one’s life, but their body.

It hit me extremely hard as I’ve visited four family members who had Alzheimer’s, who’ve been put in homes. Knowing that it was unavoidable, as we and the extended family would have been unable to care for them appropriately, didn’t make it any easier. Looking back on it, things were just as grim as this film depicts.

I highly recommend watching this film with the lights out and the sound turned up.

It’s currently streaming free on AMC+/Shudder and is available to rent on most streaming platforms.