The Rule of Jenny Pen is an uncomfortable psychological thriller. Starring Geoffrey Rush (Pirates of the Caribbean) and John Lithgow (Conclave), the film takes place in a retirement home. Judge Stefan Mortensen (Rush) has recently suffered a stroke and is partially paralyzed. He soon crosses paths with another resident named Dave Crealy (Lithgow) who terrorizes the others. It is not long before the two clash leading to increasingly disturbing incidents.
The premise sounds like another The Odd Couple movie or, at its most serious, a story about two men banding together to fight a corrupt system. The Rule of Jenny Pen is no comedy, however and the home that serves as the setting seems like a nice place. There are no screwball antics or overbearing head nurses here.
This allows for the inherent sadness that is natural to this type of location to flow through each scene. Even before the most sadistic moments, you feel pity for the people at the home. While they are not being mistreated by staff, they are adults who have little say over what they do. They live by a schedule, have no say over their meals, and even have people bathe them. This dependence on others is a part of getting older, but it is still sad to see.
It all makes the rest of The Rule of Jenny Pen so difficult to watch. Crealy pretty much has free reign over the home as he menaces the people there. What initially seems to be childish bullying soon escalates to mental and physical torture. These often demeaning scenes are very emotional.
Rush and Lithgow are two very capable actors, so it is unsurprising how impactful these moments can be. The Rule of Jenny Pen is a carefully paced film that maximizes the performances and the situation. While it is hard to watch Crealy manipulate and punish the others, it is also impossible to turn away from the film. The two leads along with the story will pull audiences in – even when they do not want to be.
The Rule of Jenny Pen premieres in theaters March 7.
