The Rule Of Jenny Pen

Cast View all

	Geoffrey Rush	Stefan Mortensen
	Nikki MacDonnell	Court Mother
	Maaka Pohatu	Dr. Neels
	George Henare	Tony Garfield
	Fiona Collins	Carer Grace
	Yvette Parsons	Carer Tania
	Ian Mune	Howie Wicker
	John Lithgow	Dave Crealy
	Richard Chapman	Musician
	Bruce Phillips	Peter Llewyn
	Irene Wood	Olive Shaw
	Annie Ruth	Moira Spender
	Nick Blake	Tobias Popanovich
	Nathaniel Lees	Sonny Ausage
	Ariadne Baltazar	Carer May
	Hilary Norris	Eunice Joyce
	Holly Shanahan	Madeline Shepard
	Lutz Halbhubner	Sean Dunn
	Ginette McDonald	Sally Pile
	Jane Waddell	Comfrey Hails
	Catie Noble	Physiotherapist
	Anapela Polataivao	Carer Jasmine
	Thomas Sainsbury	Carer Mike
	Hannah Lynch	Carer Joy
	Semu Filipo	Coach

Crew View all

Director	James Ashcroft
Writer	Eli Kent, James Ashcroft, Owen Marshall
Producer	James Ashcroft, Catherine Fitzgerald, Emily Gotto, Eli Kent, Nicholas Lazo, John Lithgow, Geoffrey Rush, Orlando Stewart, Letisha Tate-Dunning, Kayleighsha Wharton, Samuel Zimmerman
Photography	Matt Henley

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My quick rating - 6.1/10. This flick is a darkly atmospheric psychological thriller cloaked in the unlikeliest of places: a serene, slow-paced elder care facility. Here, aging bodies house some sharp and some failing minds, and secrets crackle just beneath the surface. The setting is almost deceptively calm, until John Lithgow’s performance shatters any illusion of peace.
Geoffrey Rush plays a former judge now imprisoned within his own unresponsive body after a stroke. Confined to a wheelchair and unable to communicate without a condescending tone, Rush brings a haunting presence with just his eyes and subtle expressions, something few actors could pull off. His character’s frustration and helplessness radiate in the staff's dismissal of his claims, making him both a tragic figure and a desperate, silent observer to the increasingly sinister events unfolding around him.
Lithgow, always a master of complex roles, is perfectly cast as the home’s resident bully—an elderly psychopath who hides behind charm and a child's puppet named Jenny Pen to psychologically terrorize fellow patients. It's not just the horror of what he does that disturbs me but how he does it: manipulation, mental cruelty, and slow, calculated torment. Watching Lithgow toy with his victims, sometimes mid-conversation while casually wielding the puppet, is unsettling in the best way.
George Henare rounds out the central trio as Tony, another resident whose interactions bring moments of poignancy and depth to the otherwise bleak tone. The Rule of Jenny Pen is largely a three-person stage play, and without these powerhouse performances, it might’ve collapsed under the weight of its confined setting and minimalist plot.
Director James Ashcroft (working from a short story, which is referenced in the credits) leans into the claustrophobia and psychological tension. There’s a subplot hinted at, one that could have broadened the narrative or provided deeper insight, but it remains underdeveloped. Perhaps intentionally so, to preserve the tight, almost novella-like feel of the film, but it leaves a trace of dissatisfaction for anyone hoping for a more expansive payoff.
What the film lacks in scope, it makes up for in emotional unease. It’s a slow burn built not on what’s seen, but what’s felt. No gore, no physical violence or jump scares in the traditional horror sense, just aging minds under siege, a puppet with an unnerving smile, and a quiet war for sanity in a place meant for peace.
The Rule of Jenny Pen won’t be for everyone. It's more unsettling than scary, more psychological than thrilling. But with its strong performances, especially from Lithgow, who turns puppet-play into something truly nightmarish, leaves a lingering chill. Just don’t expect answers or a world beyond the narrow hallways of this unsettling rest home.

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