In The Rule of Jenny Pen, John Lithgow plays a sadistic resident of a nursing home who torments other old people, something that seems like a good way to pass the time when you have nothing better to do. Geoffrey Rush stars as a former judge and stroke victim who attempts to stand up to the man, who uses his doll Jenny Pen to channel his wicked ways. 

First, what a great concept. A serious geriatric horror-thriller set in an environment prone to abuse and neglect, The Rule of Jenny Pen feels all too real, all too believable at times. If you’ve ever had the good fortune to visit a nursing home, you know how depressing they can be: catatonic patients, people long past their expiration date, trapped in a purgatory where legalities and morality leave them helpless. But there are others in these places too who are more physically hampered than mentally, and that’s where director James Ashcroft plays: what if one of those individuals was a psychopath? What if the rants and raves of that old man in the corner are actually sincere cries for help, pointing out evil among them? What if the orderlies refuse to listen to your father or grandfather?

Lithgow is always a fun villain (see Dexter or Cliffhanger or Conclave or Shrek), and he’s a scene-chewer here. It’s not the most nuanced of roles, and Ashcroft doesn’t fully extract the perfect performance from him, but boy is Lithgow fun to watch. Geoffrey Rush makes for a worthy protagonist and adversary, delivering a great performance in what can best be described as a B-grade horror-thriller. 

The Rule of Jenny Pen never quite elevates from that description. From concept thriller. It’s ultimately a pretty simple film with a stacked cast and a villain who is easy to hate, and who has a creepy little doll to make things a little creepier. The elements are there for something more, but Ashcroft never figures out how to seamlessly sew them together in the right way.

Nonetheless, it’s a fast-paced, entertaining, and dark little picture that delivers on its baseline premise. And thanks to this film, I now know what I’m going to do for fun when my child eventually locks me in one of these places.

Review by Erik Samdahl unless otherwise indicated.