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The Rule Of Jenny Pen
The Rule Of Jenny Pen
Directed by	James Ashcroft
Written by	James Ashcroft; Eli Kent;
Produced by	Catherine Fitzgerald; Orlando Stewart;
Starring	Geoffrey Rush; John Lithgow;
Cinematography	Matt Henley
Edited by	Gretchen Peterson
Distributed by	Shudder
Release date	19 September 2024 (Fantastic Fest);
Country	New Zealand
Language	English

The Rule of Jenny Pen is a 2024 film based on the short story by Owen Marshall. The adaptation was directed by James Ashcroft and stars Geoffrey Rush and John Lithgow.

Plot

The film follows arrogant Judge Stefan Mortensen (Rush), who suffers a near-fatal stroke, leaving him partially paralyzed and confined to a retirement home. There, Mortensen clashes with a seemingly gentle resident named Dave Crealy (Lithgow) who is actually secretly terrorizing the home with a sadistic game called "The Rule of Jenny Pen" while wielding his dementia doll as an instrument of cruelty. When Mortensen’s pleas to the staff go unanswered, he takes it upon himself to put an end to Crealy's reign of terror.

Cast

Geoffrey Rush as Stefan Mortensen
John Lithgow as Dave Crealy
Nathaniel Lees as Sonny Ausage
Thomas Sainbury as Carer Mike
Ian Mune as Howie Wicker
Irene Wood as Olive Shaw
George Henare as Tony Garfield
Maaka Pohatu as Dr Neels
Bruce Phillips as Peter Llewyn
Holly Shanahan as Madeline Shepard
Paolo Rotondo as Psychologist
Yvette Parsons as Carer Tania
Ginette McDonald as Sally Pile
Hilary Norris as Eunice Joyce
Anapela Polataivao as Carer Jasmine
Semu Filipo as Coach
Hannah Lynch as Carer Joy
Nick Blake as Tobias Popanovich

Production

In 2023 it was announced that Geoffrey Rush would star opposite John Lithgow in the thriller.^[1]

The Rule of Jenny Pen was filmed in Taupō, Wellington and Lower Hutt, New Zealand, in 2023. Author Owen Marshall appeared as an extra in a courtroom scene.^[2]

Release

The film was shown at Fantastic Fest, in Austin, Texas, on 19 September, 2024, and at Spain’s Sitges Film Festival in October 2024.^[3]

The film was acquired by Shudder on September 12, 2024, intending for the film to be release in 2025.^[4]

Reception

Horror writer Stephen King tweeted on X "I watched one of the best movies I’ve seen this year. It’s called THE RULE OF JENNY PEN, and I urge you to watch it..."^[5]

Reviewer Alex Billington from FirstShowing described the film as "an instant horror classic".^[6]