John Lithgow and His Hellish Hand Puppet Torment the Elderly in 'The Rule of Jenny Pen'

Murder in the care home

Sudden ageing is a familiar trope in horror films, recently revitalised in The Substance. For this is a horror we all face, unless we die young. A prospect to terrify naturally, even without being fantastically elaborated. The Rule of Jenny Pen – the second film from New Zealand director James Ashcroft, following the brutal road movie Coming Home in the Dark – takes a tougher approach. The ruination of old age has already come upon its protagoni…

John Lithgow and His Hellish Hand Puppet Torment the Elderly in 'The Rule of Jenny Pen'

Getting older sucks. Things inside of you that were once working so well you didn't even know they existed suddenly spring apart with a b-oing-oing sound like one of Wile E. Coyote's faulty mechanisms. Aging might be natural, but it... Read more...

FILM REVIEW: The Rule of Jenny Pen (2024)

Welcome to Fright Club! 'The Rule of Jenny Pen' isn't a horror film in a traditional sense, although the clever editing and fantastic use of light certainly makes it an uncomfortable watch. But the real horror lies in Lithgow's devilish eyes, manic performance and his menacingly weird attachment to a child's doll that he uses as a hand puppet and avatar of evil.

Review: THE RULE OF JENNY PEN is a Twisted and Disturbing Descent into Elderly Horror — GeekTyrant

The Rule of Jenny Pen is one hell of a disturbing horror movie. It’s got a strong script, sharp direction, and powerhouse performances from Geoffrey Rush and John Lithgow. But let me tell you, this movie is dark. Twisted. Uncomfortable. It’s the kind of film that burrows under your skin and stays there. And a big part of that is because it tackles something rarely explored in horror… elder abuse.Some horror movies unsettle you, some scare you, a…