The Rule of Jenny Pen

Inside a secluded rest home, a former judge who has been nearly immobilized by a severe stroke faces a terrifying challenge. The resident, once accustomed to order and verdicts, finds his voice and resolve renewed as a manipulative elder begins to terrify the house using a child's puppet to commit deadly acts. The tale follows Dave Crealy, played by John Lithgow, who communicates through careful gestures and a sharp, probing mind that keeps him a step ahead of danger despite his physical limits. Across the corridors, Stefan Mortensen, portrayed by Geoffrey Rush, exerts a cold, calculating pressure, orchestrating the mischief from behind closed doors. The puppet complicates every scene, turning ordinary routines into a high stakes game of detection and protection.

Directed by James Ashcroft, The Rule of Jenny Pen arrived in 2025 with a concept developed by Eli Kent and Owen Marshall. The production leans into a restrained horror aesthetic that relies on atmosphere, sound design, and the performances of a tight ensemble. The film brings together Lithgow and Rush in a cat and mouse dynamic set within a claustrophobic rest home, supported by Maaka Pohatu, Nathaniel Lees, and Thomas Sainsbury. Ashcroft's approach favors precision over spectacle, aiming to amplify dread through quiet suspense and implied violence rather than flashy set pieces.

Box office revenue is listed at 422,256 dollars, reflecting a modest release that found its audience largely among genre fans and regional theater goers rather than a broad national run. The figure underlines the film's niche appeal and the challenge of marketing horror that centers on character over cinematic scale.

Critical response is mixed but notes the film's strength in performance and its chilling premise. The story interrogates themes of autonomy and dignity in old age, the fragility of memory, and how power can be exercised through fear. Lithgow embodies restraint and resolve, while Rush delivers a chilling portrait of a cerebral antagonist. The puppet motif reappears as a disturbing symbol that threads through dialogue and action, leaving audiences with a lingering, intimate dread.