The Rule of Jenny Pen

Name: The Rule of Jenny Pen
Genre: Horror, Mystery, Thriller
Released: April 14, 2025
Duration: 1h 44min

2024 | | 104 min | Horror, Mystery, Thriller

Synopsis

Confined to a secluded rest home and trapped within his stroke-ridden body, a former judge must stop an elderly psychopath who employs a child's puppet to abuse the home's residents with deadly consequences. As the walls close in and hope begins to fade, he discovers that even in weakness, resistance is possible — and that courage can take unexpected forms in the fight against cruelty.

Info

Directed by: James Ashcroft

Written by: Eli Kent and James Ashcroft

Country: New Zealand

Language: English

Cast: Geoffrey Rush, John Lightgow, George Henare, Holly Shanahan, Nathaniel Lees, Anapela Polataivao

Produced by: Light in the Dark Productions | Blueskin Films

Trailer

Awards & Festivals

Reviews say...

"There are moments of greatness in this bracingly malicious tale of elder abuse. The opening sequence, which captures the disorientation and reality slippage resulting from Stefan’s stroke, is superb. The use of sound and music (the chirpy cockney anthem Knees Up Mother Brown takes on a sense of choking menace) is first-rate. And both central performances are impressive"

The Guardian

"There are times when the interpretive aspect defines the quality of a film. In 'The Rule of Jenny Pen', that's exactly the case. And we’re talking about two powerhouses here: the ever-reliable character actor John Lithgow (Killers of the Flower Moon, Interstellar, 3rd Rock from the Sun) and our beloved Geoffrey Rush (Pirates of the Caribbean, Frida)."

terrorweekend.com

"(...) 'The Rule Of Jenny Pen' is a creepy puppet movie that’s also a meditation on aging, death, and the fear that comes from losing control of your body, and thus your own agency. It’s one of the creepiest, smartest horror films so far this year, and one won’t soon forget Jenny Pen’s haunting, hollow eyes"

★★★★

AV Club