It takes James Ashcroft’s The Rule Of Jenny Pen only a single scene to ascertain itself as a nasty, engulfing piece of labor. Sitting on the bench on the entrance of a courtroom, Geoffrey Rush’s Choose Stefan Mortensen opens the movie viciously berating a person discovered responsible of sexually violating a minor amongst different prices… however the prison isn’t the one goal of his scorn. Listening to the sufferer’s mom within the gallery whisper “thank yous” in his path, he rejects the gratitude and as an alternative calls her deplorable for permitting her baby to be endangered – sermonizing that “the place there aren’t any lions, hyenas rule.”
The Rule Of Jenny Pen
Launch Date: March 7, 2025
Directed By: James Ashcroft
Written By: James Ashcroft & Eli Kent
Starring: John Lithgow, Geoffrey Rush, and George Henare
Score: R for violent content material together with sexual assault, and a few language
Runtime: 103 minutes
This could be the introduction of a villain in nearly some other movie, however the choose is definitely our sympathetic protagonist. Whereas that will appear to be the film giving itself an insurmountable hurdle over which to leap, it’s capable of meet that problem by finally introducing us to the psychopathic nightmare that’s John Lithgow’s Dave Crealy. In comparison with Dave, the choose is a purring kitten.
The Rule Of Jenny Pen is an exceptional train in character growth, however that’s simply one of many unbelievable instruments that’s utilized in crafting a bone-chilling cinematic expertise that cuts, stuns, and leaves a scar. Phenomenal performances, unrelenting environment and a good story make it unforgettable and an early candidate to be declared the very best horror film of 2025.
The courtroom sequence described above ends when the choose suffers a debilitating stroke mid-rant and finally ends up being taken to Royal Pine Mews – a relaxation residence the place he hopes to rehabilitate earlier than resuming his regular way of life. His venomous angle on no account cured by his near-fatal episode, Stefan shortly alienates everybody within the facility, and he demonstrates nothing however contempt for actions and socializing. He incarcerates himself in his personal bubble of distress. However then issues take a pointy flip towards the additional horrible when he turns into a goal of long-time resident Dave Crealy.
The employees of Royal Pine Mews treats Dave as a typical senility case, as he all the time has a child puppet on his arm named Jenny Pen, and he spends a lot of his time within the frequent space hysterically laughing at something that’s taking part in on the tv. The reality, nonetheless, is that Dave may be very, very removed from typical. He is aware of exactly what’s he doing always, and what he loves greater than something is cruelty. He is aware of all of the methods to get round the remainder residence unimpeded, and he strolls round evening after evening popping into rooms to observe his personal particular model of psychological and bodily torture.
Accustomed to authority and being in management, Stefan derides his bully at first and doesn’t take his habits critically, but it surely doesn’t take lengthy for him to appreciate that he has dangerously underestimated the person, and as his well being and colleges proceed to deteriorate, Dave’s abuse solely escalates.
The Rule Of Jenny Pen is a mind-ripper that efficiently each terrifies and horrifies.
How can an aged man clarify that somebody has dumped a bag of urine in his lap when the nurses suppose he’s most likely simply incontinent and embarrassed? How can he clarify shin bruises are from kicks when bumping into low tables whereas using in a wheelchair is equally potential? Dave is practiced in realizing the the entire buttons he can push and the place he can go and when, and the top result’s that he reigns over his personal personal hell, and it’s each brutal and engaging. James Ashcroft’s path and the skillful modifying by Gretchen Peterson has you wincing with every spike of ache that the monster deploys – however his violence (which features a sequence of him wrenching and tugging on a person’s catheter that can make you instinctively cross your legs) pales subsequent to his manipulations and emotional malice.
The Rule Of Jenny Pen’s title comes from Dave’s perverse behavior of demanding that his victims first acknowledge the “rule” of his child puppet after which “lick her asshole,” which entails him presenting his wrist for a tongue tub. Sick as that sounds to learn, it’s a lot worse to see play out on display screen, and it’s simply one in all many horrible ways in which Dave performs with the sufferers of Royal Pine Mews as he demeans, stares, steals, and spins lies. It’s diabolical and in the end homicidal insanity… so that you could possibly perceive at this level how Stefan turns into acceptable as a sympathetic protagonist.
And whereas the torture is one factor, James Ashcroft additionally crafts a dense and intense environment that pushes the entire terror and horror to excessive heights. Not only a sufferer of Dave’s abuse, Stephan is trapped in a overseas surroundings, remoted with out assist, and with out possession of a completely functioning thoughts –which is all visually communicated with sudden framing, artful use of depth of discipline and intense modifying. There may be clear inspiration taken from Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining within the crafting of The Rule Of Jenny Pen, as Ashcroft fills Royal Pine Mews with a depraved vitality paying homage to the infamous Overlook Lodge (albeit minus parts of the supernatural).
John Lithgow and Geoffrey Rush give two of most phenomenal performances of their respective careers – which is saying a hell of quite a bit.
The fabric – the script co-written by James Ashcroft and Eli Kent based mostly on a brief story by writer Owen Marshall – is sensible, and the movie is solid to get essentially the most out of it. It takes a degree of bravery to tackle roles like Stefan Mortensen and Dave Crealy, as audiences won’t ever see Geoffrey Rush and John Lithgow in the identical means once more, but it surely’s wholly price it, as their turns are unforgettable.
Wretched and callous because the choose might be, Rush additionally offers a respectability and the Aristocracy that basically retains the viewers from discovering the character wholly repugnant; impolite and chilly as he might be, he’s relatable in his fortitude to take care of his dignity. That being mentioned, the actor additionally does spellbinding and highly effective work when that fortitude is put underneath excessive stress – found not solely when he’s being violently harassed but additionally failing to get better following his stroke.
As for Lithgow… holy shit. Having beforehand seen his efficiency as Arthur Mitchell within the fourth season of Dexter, I used to be totally conscious going into The Rule Of Jenny Pen that the actor was able to going to some terribly darkish locations, however Dave Crealy’s evil is so potent it goes past human. Even essentially the most jaded, desensitized horror fan goes to be shocked by what Lithgow does right here.
It’s actually an expertise that must be felt moderately than examine – and whereas the film will probably be streaming inside the 12 months, it’s additionally one that’s significantly nice to see with an viewers filled with gaspers and screamers. The Rule Of Jenny Pen is the third actually nice horror movie that we’ve gotten to date in 2025 following Drew Hancock’s Companion and Osgood Perkins’ The Monkey and it’s must-see for any devoted style fan.