The Rule of Jenny Pen

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1:23

The Rule of Jenny Pen

R

In Theaters Fri Mar 7

1h 43m

Horror

Mystery & Thriller

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

69%

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13 Reviews

Popcornmeter

0 Verified Ratings

Arrogant Judge Stefan Mortensen suffers a near-fatal stroke, leaving him partially paralyzed and confined to a retirement home. Resistant to the staff and distant from his friendly roommate, Mortensen soon clashes with seemingly gentle resident Dave Crealy who secretly terrorizes the home with a sadistic game called "The Rule of Jenny Pen" while wielding his dementia doll as an instrument of cruelty. What begins as childish torment quickly escalates into far more sinister and disturbing incidents. When Mortensen's pleas to the staff go unanswered, he takes it upon himself to put an end to Crealy's reign of terror.

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In Theaters Fri Mar 7

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James Ashcroft

Director

John Lithgow

Dave Crealy

Geoffrey Rush

Judge Stefan Mortensen

Nathaniel Lees

Sonny Ausage

George Henare

Tony Garfield

Thomas Sainsbury

Carer Mike

Brian Tallerico

RogerEbert.com

It’s a deeply exaggerated, unbelievable world of catatonic old people.

Sep 27, 2024

Full Review

Marjorie Baumgarten

Austin Chronicle

The knockout performances make the The Rule of Jenny Pen worth seeing, but there is not much more substance propping up this endeavor.

Sep 26, 2024

Full Review

Alison Foreman

indieWire

What begins as an atypical use of two beloved actors gets more messy than complex in The Rule of Jenny Pen. And yet, the undaunted director, Ashcroft, approaches his vision with palpable conviction.

Rated: B-

Sep 23, 2024

Full Review

Jonathan DeHaan

Nightmare on Film Street

A brilliantly deranged slice of cinema with one hell of a scumbag for a villain. John Lithgow absolutely relishes in the maniacal insanity of his character; A chaotic evil we haven’t seen the actor embody in far too long. (Bonus points for creepy puppet)

Rated: 88%

Feb 19, 2025

Full Review

Nadine Whitney

AWFJ.org

James Ashcroft’s Grand Guignol in a NZ nursing home is vicious and mean-spirited. Making it either an instant psychological horror classic or a sickly spectacle. Either way, The Rule of Jenny Pen is difficult to shake off.

Rated: 3/5

Feb 19, 2025

Full Review

Kat Hughes

THN

Some will struggle with the elder abuse content, but subject matter aside, The Rule of Jenny Pen is worth watching for the phenomenal performances of Rush and Lithgow alone.

Rated: 4/5

Nov 1, 2024

Full Review

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Synopsis

Arrogant Judge Stefan Mortensen suffers a near-fatal stroke, leaving him partially paralyzed and confined to a retirement home. Resistant to the staff and distant from his friendly roommate, Mortensen soon clashes with seemingly gentle resident Dave Crealy who secretly terrorizes the home with a sadistic game called "The Rule of Jenny Pen" while wielding his dementia doll as an instrument of cruelty. What begins as childish torment quickly escalates into far more sinister and disturbing incidents. When Mortensen's pleas to the staff go unanswered, he takes it upon himself to put an end to Crealy's reign of terror.

Director: James Ashcroft
Producer: Catherine Fitzgerald, Orlando Stewart
Screenwriter: James Ashcroft, Eli Kent
Distributor: IFC Films
Production Co: Light in the Dark Productions, Blueskin Films
Rating: R (Sexual Assault|Violent Content|Some Language)
Genre: Horror, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Mar 7, 2025, Limited
Runtime: 1h 43m