When the king of horror, Stephen King, sings the praises of a fright filled film, you’ve kinda gotta take that seriously. Not only does it have a strong endorsement from King, but The Rule of Jenny Pen comes with some serious pedigree in its director James Ashcroft hot off his critically acclaimed debut Coming Home in the Dark and in its stars Geoffrey Rush and the newly minted Hogwarts headmaster, John Lithgow. While The Rule of Jenny Pen holds an intriguing concept at its core with Rush and Lithgow in terrific form, it doesn’t quite land all of the themes and narrative turns that it introduces. 

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Set within the confines of an aged care facility, Rush stars as Stefan, a conceited judge who suffers a near fatal stroke that sees him placed in convalescence where he refuses to cooperate with the facility’s staff or communicate with his roommate. Lithgow plays aging psychopath Dave Crealy who indulges in a sadistic game known as The Rule of Jenny Pen.

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The question that is proposed to haunt you throughout The Rule of Jenny Pen is whether Crealy really is abusing Stefan and the other residents or if it's all part of a delusion that Stefan is experiencing due to deteriorating health. And, with no real spoilers, it feels like the illusion is squashed pretty quickly, the questioned answered. Which is completely fine if the decision was to be direct with the sadistic game being played. However, it feels like we cover the same ground narratively at times, with some clumsy character development thrown in too. There are some strong themes around elder abuse that are presented here and if fleshed out could have really been quite terrifying. 

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But what elevates The Rule of Jenny Pen above its script challenges are its performances. Here Geoffrey Rush reminds us once again of his magnificent prowess as an actor, giving a performance laced both in arrogance and pain. Lithgow on the other hand is deliciously evil, commanding every scene with devilish delight. 

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While The Rule of Jenny Pen holds an intriguing concept at its core with Rush and Lithgow in terrific form, it doesn’t quite land all of the themes and narrative turns that it introduces.