The Rule of Jenny Pen

Name: The Rule of Jenny Pen
Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Horror
Released: March 7, 2025
Duration: 103 min
Rating: 66

2025

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Generally favorable reviews based on 20 Critic Reviews

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Movie Details & Credits

IFC Films | Release Date: March 7, 2025 | R

Summary: Arrogant Judge Stefan Mortensen (Geoffrey Rush) suffers a near-fatal stroke, leaving him partially paralyzed and confined to a retirement home. Resistant to the staff and distant from his friendly roommate, Mortensen soon clashes with seemingly gentle resident Dave Crealy (John Lithgow) who secretly terrorizes the home with a sadistic gameArrogant Judge Stefan Mortensen (Geoffrey Rush) suffers a near-fatal stroke, leaving him partially paralyzed and confined to a retirement home. Resistant to the staff and distant from his friendly roommate, Mortensen soon clashes with seemingly gentle resident Dave Crealy (John Lithgow) who secretly terrorizes the home with a sadistic game called "The Rule of Jenny Pen” while wielding his dementia doll as an instrument of cruelty. What begins as childish torment quickly escalates into far more sinister and disturbing incidents. When Mortensen's pleas to the staff go unanswered, he takes it upon himself to put an end to Crealy's reign of terror.… Expand

Genre(s): Mystery, Thriller, Horror

Rating: R

Runtime: 103 min

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Critic Reviews

100

Kent Hill

Mar 7, 2025

John Lithgow and Geoffrey Rush deliver us a mighty duel, as well as a masterclass in character acting in James Ashcroft’s The Rule of Jenny Pen. Read full review

The Daily Beast Nick Schager

Mar 4, 2025

True cinema is John Lithgow terrorizing Geoffrey Rush in a nursing home with his creepy hand puppet. Read full review

Matthew Jackson

Mar 5, 2025

The Rule Of Jenny Pen‘s willingness to constantly challenge its audience with shadows and hints rather than some kind of outright horror mythos is one of its great strengths, and Rush embodies that with intense, compelling control. Read full review

Collider Jeff Ewing

Mar 7, 2025

The Rule of Jenny Pen has a lot going for it. Lithgow and Rush pull off strong performances, the escalation of tension is well-developed regarding the scenes taken as a whole, and the central conceit of the doll is used to strong effect. Read full review

IndieWire Alison Foreman

Mar 5, 2025

What begins as an atypical use of two beloved actors gets more messy than complex in The Rule of Jenny Pen. And yet, the undaunted director, Ashcroft, approaches his vision with palpable conviction. Read full review

Kyle Smith

Mar 9, 2025

The film is at its best in the way it keeps building the stakes of the character clash, thanks in large part to the virtuosity of the two lead actors. Read full review

The Times Kevin Maher

Mar 14, 2025

We are simply beaten into bored submission — yes, we get it, he’s maaaaaaad! There are also glaring plot holes and contrivances aplenty. By the closing-reel murder it’s almost impossible to care. Read full review

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