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The Rule of Jenny Pen is a 2024 psychological horror film, a short story by Owen Marshall, directed by James Ashcroft, and written by Ashcroft and Eli Kent. John Lithgow and Geoffrey Rush play the leading roles in the film.
The movie is scheduled to be released on March 7, 2025. However, it created a buzz due to its screenings at the Sitges Film Festival in October 2024 and Fantastic Fest in September 2024.
The movie revolves around Geoffrey Rush's Stefan Mortensen, a judge who suffers a stroke. He lives in a nursing home where he meets disturbed resident Dave Crealy (John Lithgow) with a warped game.
Crealy’s game involves a sinister baby doll that he uses to terrorize fellow residents. As Mortensen becomes the target of this cruel game, he must confront Crealy’s madness before it’s too late.
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Everything to know about The Rule of Jenny Pen
Film overview and concept
In The Rule of Jenny Pen, Judge Stefan Mortensen (Rush), who suffered a stroke that left half of his body paralyzed, is locked up in a nursing home. He finds it hard to accept his new life, so he refuses to notice how scary the house is.
But his quiet hopelessness turns into dread when he meets Dave Crealy (Lithgow), a crazy patient who talks through a baby doll hand puppet and follows a strange set of rules called The Rule of Jenny Pen. At first, the game seems like a fun activity for kids, but it quickly turns creepy as Crealy scares the locals by controlling and punishing them in the name of his puppet's will.
As the game progresses, Stefan is forced to play and quickly learns that Crealy's reign of terror is not only mental but also deadly. People who don't follow Jenny Pen's rules disappear, and they fear what will happen to them.
Even though he has physical problems, Stefan doesn't want to be another victim. With a sharp mind and years of experience in court, he starts to figure out what's going on with Crealy and is determined to end his reign of terror.
After that, there is an intense battle of survival and wits as Stefan fights against the limits of his body and Crealy's cruel attacks. When Stefan finds out where Jenny Pen came from and the terrible past that drives Crealy crazy, the game turns darker.
When the nursing home turns into a battlefield, Stefan has one last desperate showdown with his captor. The outcome of this fight may determine whether Stefan escapes or becomes the next victim of The Rule of Jenny Pen.
The cast and crew
The Rule of Jenny Pen boasts some popular names as the movie's cast. John Lithgow and Geoffrey Rush lead the ensemble. Lithgow plays the character of Dave Crealy. Meanwhile, Geoffrey Rush brings gravitas to the role of Stefan Mortensen, a man struggling with both his physical condition and his psyche.
Supporting cast members include Nathaniel Lees as Sonny Ausage and Thomas Sainsbury as Carer Mike. The movie was filmed in Taupō, Wellington, and Lower Hutt, New Zealand.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Ashcroft said his horror film uses school bullying in a retirement community to inform its plot.
“As a father of three, I’m ever aware of the prospect of bullying in my children’s lives. But I’d never considered it as something that my aging parents might face in the twilight stages of their lives,” he stated.
Trailer breakdown
The latest trailer for The Rule of Jenny Pen provides a deep dive into the psychological horror that the film delivers. From the beginning, viewers see Dave Crealy (John Lithgow) use a baby doll puppet to entertain the nursing home residents.
However, this innocent-looking performance is merely the surface of his tormenting game. The trailer teases moments of tension, with Crealy’s eerie doll becoming a tool of terror and Mortensen (Geoffrey Rush) beginning to realize the danger Crealy poses.
As the trailer progresses, it becomes clear that Crealy’s game escalates into more sinister acts, leading Mortensen to confront him. The trailer hints at the growing conflict between these two characters. It showcases Lithgow’s ability to evoke fear and Rush’s struggle against the confines of his physical condition.
Stay tuned for more news and updates on The Rule of Jenny Pen and similar projects as the year progresses.
