A Puppet, a Prison, and a Fight for Survival

Read Time:4 Minute, 40 Second

MOVIE REVIEW
The Rule of Jenny Pen
–

Genre: Horror, Mystery, Thriller
Year Released: 2024, 2025
Runtime: 1h 43m
Director(s): James Ashcroft
Writer(s): Eli Kent, James Ashcroft
Cast: Geoffrey Rush, John Lithgow, George Henare, Nathaniel Lees, Thomas Sainsbury, Maaka Pohatu, Irene Wood, Ian Mune, Bruce Phillips, Holly Shanahan, Paolo Rotondo, Yvette Parsons
Where To Watch: in select theaters March 7, 2025

RAVING REVIEW: There’s something uniquely terrifying about losing control—not just of a situation, but of your own life. THE RULE OF JENNY PEN magnifies that fear, placing its protagonist in a setting where power is no longer his to wield. What should be a place of care becomes a nightmare, where cruelty thrives, and no one dares to intervene. With two powerful and understated performances at its core and a premise that turns everyday neglect into something far more insidious, the film delivers a disturbing psychological thriller.

Judge Stefan Mortensen spent a lifetime upholding the law, yet justice is nowhere to be found in the confines of a nursing home. Played by Geoffrey Rush, Mortensen enters the facility following a stroke, expecting to recover and return to his old life. But this place has its rules, and none work in his favor. His past authority means nothing here—his concerns are ignored, his independence is stripped away, and worst of all, he finds himself at the mercy of a man who thrives on fear.

That man is Dave Crealy, a resident who has made the nursing home his world. John Lithgow plays Crealy with an unsettling energy, balancing calculated menace with amusement. His weapon of choice? A puppet named Jenny Pen torments and dominates the other residents. He doesn’t just terrorize—he humiliates, manipulates, and asserts control in ways that make him nearly untouchable. It’s the kind of role that could veer into over-the-top territory in the wrong hands, but Lithgow keeps it grounded, making Crealy an unnerving villain.

THE RULE OF JENNY PEN thrives on its suffocating atmosphere. The nursing home setting is used to full effect, turning hallways into corridors of dread and everyday routines into acts of quiet suffering. The cinematography plays with darkness and shadows, emphasizing how easily fear can spread when no one is watching. Director James Ashcroft leans into the psychological horror of isolation, making the characters’ helplessness feel as tangible as any physical threat.

Its refusal to rely on supernatural elements or exaggerated horror tropes sets the film apart. The real terror comes from the absence of intervention—the way Crealy moves freely, staff members dismiss concerns, and fear keeps the residents silent. It’s a brutal but effective look at how power can be abused when no one is willing to challenge it.

Rush delivers a performance that captures Mortensen’s slow unraveling. He begins as a man who believes he can fight back, but his frustration grows with every failure. He isn’t a failure battling Crealy—he’s battling the crushing realization that he has lost his place in the world. His former confidence clashes with his new reality, and watching that shift unfold is one of the film’s strongest elements.

Despite the strong performances, the film does have some weak points. The relentless bleakness can feel overwhelming, and while the story’s horror is effective, it can also feel repetitive. There are only so many times Mortensen can be ignored before it starts to feel like the film is hammering the same point home. Similarly, while Crealy is a fantastic villain, more insight into how he came to hold such unchecked power within the home would have strengthened the story.

THE RULE OF JENNY PEN doesn’t pull its punches. It’s a sharp critique of neglect, fear, and how society treats those no longer seen as useful. The horror isn’t in what might happen—it’s in what is already happening. This isn’t just a nightmare on screen; it’s a reality. That thought alone makes the film unsettling in ways few horror movies manage to achieve.

THE RULE OF JENNY PEN isn’t a traditional horror film, but it understands the power of fear. It traps its audience in the same helplessness its characters feel, refusing to offer easy resolutions. Because of how real it feels, the film is uncomfortable, frustrating, and terrifying.

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[photo courtesy of IFC FILMS, SHUDDER]

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