Title: The Rule of Jenny Penn
MPA Rating: Not Yet Rated
Director: James Ashcroft
Starring: Geoffrey Rush, John Lithgow, Nathaniel Lees
Runtime: 1hr 43 mins

What It Is: Judge Stefan Mortensen (Rush) suffers a stroke during a hearing, changing his life forever. Proud and intelligent, the judge has difficulty coming to terms with his forced admission into hospice care, finding his sudden loss of mobility and the daily routine for the elderly bleak and lifeless. Soon, Stefan learns that the hospice harbors a dangerous man named Dave Crealy (Lithgow), who gleefully torments his fellow residents, including Stefan’s roommate, former athlete Sonny Ausage (Lees), with his dementia doll, Jenny Penn. With a strong sense of justice, Stefan struggles to find a way to seek justice, despite his increasing loss of both physical and systemic control.

What We Think: Everything about this film’s stats alone is worth getting excited for. If the prestigious casting doesn’t catch your attention, the allure of a fantastic psychological thriller surely will. Based on a short story, this twisted tale of old men at odds evokes notable favorites of the genre, such as What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? and The Most Dangerous Game. This haunting tale of survival and strength delves into themes of sociopathy and systemic abuse—at least, if we’re reading deeply into the narrative. It feels both classic and eclectic, like a film that could exist just as easily today as in the 1950s or 60s. The storytelling is elegant, tactful, and allows every character, no matter how big or small, to display a range of humanity. Even Lithgow’s freakishly devilish serial abuser (among other awful things) has moments that capture the highs and lows of the human experience, particularly the inevitable pitfalls of aging. That’s the second greatest horror here—aside from the giddy antagonist and his absurdly creepy, eyeless babydoll—the inevitability of our own impending doom, no matter who we are.

The characters are nuanced, performed, and written with a rich fullness. Each one is distinct in how they face the struggles of aging, sickness, and abuse, whether they overcome them or succumb to them.

It’s hard to say much more about this film without spoiling it, but suffice it to say, nothing I could write would do it justice. You should simply watch it. Watch it for the story, and for Lithgow and Rush, who go head-to-head in powerful performances. Both actors churn out Oscar-worthy roles, no matter how small the project.

Our Grade: B+, A stunning, smart, and raw humanist thriller—Lord of the Flies if it took place in hospice. It won’t be for everyone, as it takes its time, avoids the typical trap of psychological films relying on surreal visuals without depth, and is overall quite unconventional. I respect this film a LOT for the risks it takes and the care the filmmakers put into crafting its story. Catch this messed-up flick when it drops on Shudder!