THE RULE OF JENNY PEN Reviewed by GREG KING
Director: James Ashcroft
Stars: John Lithgow, Geoffrey Rush, George Henare, Ginette McDonald, Ian Mune, Thomas Sainbury, Maaka Pohatu, Hilary Norris.
This bizarre, offbeat and slightly bonkers low budget psychological horror drama from New Zealand is largely set within the confines of the Royal Pine Mews nursing home.
Arrogant judge Stefan Mortensen (Geoffrey Rush, in his first film role since 2019’s remake of Storm Boy) suffers a debilitating stroke while during the middle of a sentencing hearing in his courtroom. He is sent to a care home while he undergoes treatment to help him recover. But there the wheelchair bound Stefan becomes a target for the psychopathic and malevolent patient Dave Crealy (John Lithgow, recently seen in Conclave), who wears a glove puppet on his hand. He has christened the puppet Jenny Pen, and he uses it to terrorise the other patients.
A battle of wills and a power struggle develops between the two men. Crealy also targets Tony Garfield (George Henare, from Once Were Warriors, etc), a former rugby player who is also Stefan’s roommate. The hospital staff though are dismissive of Stefan’s complaints about Crealy’s behaviour and ignore his demands to take action.
The Rule Of Jenny Pen is based on a short story written by Owen Marshall. It has been adapted for the screen and expanded upon by director James Ashcroft and Eli Kent, who collaborated with the director on the 2021 drama Coming Home In The Dark. The film deals with themes of insanity, mortality, mental illness, bullying, abuse of the elderly and vulnerable. This is the sophomore feature for actor turned filmmaker Ashcroft, and he gives the material a creepy and sinister edge and creates a sense of increasing dread. The unsettling and claustrophobic mood is enhanced by the gloomy cinematography of another regular collaborator in Matt Henley.
The film’s unsettling tone is due largely to Lithgow’s performance. Both Lithgow and Rush make the most of their roles here and generate a palpable sense of tension as they square off against one another. Lithgow is always very good when playing a villainous role and here he is quite intense and terrifying as the unhinged Crealy. Rush is also very good as the wheelchair bound Stefan who struggles to come to terms with his own powerlessness.
The Rule Of Jenny Pen delivers some creepy thrills and a couple of strong performances from its two leads, but it may not be for all audiences. Apparently though Stephen King is a huge fan of the film!
★★★
