Running Time: 104 Minutes
Certification: 15
Starring: Geoffrey Rush, John Lithgow, George Henare, Nathaniel Lees, Thomas Sainsbury, Maaka Pohatu, Irene Wood, Ian Mune
Back in 2021, co-writer/director James Ashcroft made his feature debut with the impressively nasty Coming Home in the Dark. He returns with The Rule of Jenny Pen, a follow-up that takes a different approach. The film opens with Judge Stefan Mortensen (Geoffrey Rush) in the midst of a trial, as he delivers a sentence to a man who was found guilty of a horrific crime. The judge soon turns his attention to the victim's mother, imparting blame on them before descending into rambling and an eventual collapse. This is the result of a near-fatal stroke, which leaves the judge partially paralyzed and confined to a wheelchair.
Moved to a retirement home far from where he lived (the only place he could afford that would take him), Mortensen is resistant to the staff and isolates himself. Also at the same home is Dave Crealy (John Lithgow), a seemingly gentle man who terrorizes the other residents with a dementia doll that he calls "Jenny Pen." The two old men soon clash, and what begun as childish torment escalates into more sinister and disturbing incidents.
In the lead role, Rush does well playing the strong-willed judge who comes off as cranky. He refuses to back down, instead preferring to double down on his beliefs, and will not mince words while he does it. He wishes to not be lumped in with the other residents, yet he is more like them than he cares to admit, holding onto a belief that the circumstances will be momentary as he struggles to face the reality of how his life has changed.
Acting opposite him is an excellent Lithgow, who delivers utter menace beneath a doddering guise. He is a gleeful sadist, ruling over the elders with an iron fist in the form of his creepy doll. Considering the actor is often associated with kindly roles, this is his most chilling performance since an unforgettable turn in Dexter season four, and he excels in this role. It is because of this pair that the unfolding cat-and-mouse game offers such thrills, as they try to gain the upper hand through mind games, intimidation, and physical attacks.
Within these walls, people are left fearing that their last moments will be the lasting impression that they leave, an image that will overwhelm any memories of them in their best condition. It is through this vulnerability that elder abuse runs rampant throughout this retirement home, and the victims refuse to speak up to the seemingly oblivious employees. The care workers not seeing any of these warning signs could speak to how dispassionate they are for their work, yet it instead feels like a need to dumb characters down so the antagonist can get away with his actions.
There is also the sense of a film caught between two paths, unsure of whether to remain serious-minded or allow for a goofier tone within the proceedings. As a result, the film can feel imbalanced, yet there is an interesting thread about the need to stand up against tyranny. There is more to life then sitting back and keeping out of sight, and it is only when forces stand together that change can truly be enacted. As such, it makes The Rule of Jenny Pen feel like a mismatched yet effective feature.
The Rule of Jenny Pen is available in cinemas now
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