The Rule of Jenny Pen

Fear rules Royal Pine Mews - and Jenny Pen makes the rules.

Anytime I get the chance to watch two acclaimed actors showcase their skills, I’m going to jump all over it. So, when I saw that Geoffrey Rush and John Lithgow were headlining “The Rule of Jenny Pen,” I knew I had to check it out. From the trailer alone, I could tell there was something special about this film - something that appealed to my sense of the macabre.

I went into “The Rule of Jenny Pen” expecting it to lean heavily on horror, but instead, it didn’t lean at all - it came crashing down on me, not with horror, but with terror. And that’s a whole different animal.

Rush plays Stefan Mortensen, an arrogant, hard-as-nails judge who suffers a debilitating stroke and finds himself placed in the Royal Pine Mews Care Home until he can safely take care of himself. Stefan is an asshole to just about everyone he meets at the facility, and the staff want him gone as badly as he wants to be gone. He keeps his distance from the other residents, but when he stands up to a fellow resident, Dave (Lithgow), who’s been terrorizing his frail roommate Tony (George Henare) and others, Stefan quickly finds himself in Dave’s crosshairs.

The residents live in fear of Dave, who stalks the halls at night, making his presence known in terrifying ways. What makes it even creepier is his method of inflicting pain and control - Jenny Pen, an eyeless baby doll he wears on his right hand. He forces the residents to perform humiliating acts, like licking the puppet’s backside and pledging their loyalty to Jenny Pen as the ruler of Royal Pine Mews.

While the others live in fear, Stefan refuses to play along. His ego simply won’t allow it. When Dave has an asthma attack one night, he finds that all of his inhalers have been emptied - Stefan’s handiwork. The last we see of Dave, he’s struggling for air on the floor. The next day at lunch, Dave is nowhere to be found. Stefan and Tony breathe a sigh of relief, but it doesn’t last long. Dave returns and is hellbent on revenge.

From there, the film spirals into deeper terror. Dave and Jenny Pen lure a woman with dementia outside, leading to her death. He torments another woman as she screams for her partner’s help, who is helpless to intervene. And after Stefan suffers another medical episode while trying to protect them, he finds himself bedridden and at the mercy of Dave and Jenny Pen.

One of the most powerful moments in the film comes when Tony, who has always been too afraid to fight back, musters the courage to perform a Haka – it’s an emotional stand against his tormentor. It’s a breathtaking scene, and Henare delivers it with such power and humanity that it becomes one of the most memorable moments in the film in my opinion.

Stefan, given time to plot, comes up with one final plan to rid Royal Pine Mews of Dave and Jenny Pen once and for all. With Tony’s help, they set the stage for a climactic showdown that will leave the viewer on the edge of their seat. It’s brutal but oh so satisfying.

“The Rule of Jenny Pen” isn’t a traditional horror movie, but it’s one of the most unsettling films I’ve seen in a while. The secondary cast helps elevates the film, making every moment feel painfully real, to the point where you almost want to look away at times.

Rush is great as always, but Lithgow continues to blow my socks off. When people list the greatest actors, his name usually isn’t mentioned, and that’s a tragedy. For my money, he’s one of the finest actors we’ve ever had the pleasure of watching. His range alone should leave people in awe of his talent.

And yet, despite those two powerhouse performances, it’s Henare who steals the show. I wasn’t familiar with his work before this, but after “The Rule of Jenny Pen,” I’ll be searching out everything he’s in. His performance is heartbreaking, raw and human. Watching him finally stand up to his tormentor is even more powerful because of the fragility behind his strength. Henare gives a great performance people should see.

Director James Ashcroft crafts a claustrophobic experience with “The Rule of Jenny Pen,” tightening the grip with every scene until, by the end, you’re barely able to breathe. While the script had its issues, Ashcroft more than made up for it with the intense pressure each character puts on the other.

“The Rule of Jenny Pen” isn’t a flawless thriller, but it’s a satisfying offering that will leave a lasting impact. It’s a film that doesn’t just rely on shocks or gore, but instead builds its terror slowly and methodically and is definitely worth the ride.