I watched the New Zealand 🇳🇿 film The Rule of Jenny Pen (2024) at Omni Theaters this evening. The story follows a judge who, after suffering a stroke while on the bench, is sent to a nursing home. There, he encounters another resident who enjoys more freedom than the other patients-and who has a doll. The problem? He wants you to do things for his doll, and you won't like what happens if you refuse. When the nurses dismiss the judge's concerns, he may have to take matters into his own hands.
Directed by James Ashcroft (Coming Home in the Dark), the film stars John Lithgow (Cliffhanger), Geoffrey Rush (The King's Speech), Nathaniel Lees (The Matrix Revolutions), and Hilary Norris (The Hobbit).
I wanted so much more from this film, especially after the impressive courtroom opening and the flaming wheelchair sequence. The cast delivers strong performances across the board, making it even more frustrating that the film doesn't live up to its potential. It should have leaned into a Bubba Ho-Tep vibe, but instead, it feels like something is missing. The kills are underwhelming, the doll isn't scary, and while Lithgow brings some menace, it never reaches the level I'd hoped for. That said, the "Who rules?" sequences were genuinely unsettling. Beyond those moments, though, the film just doesn't deliver.
In conclusion, The Rule of Jenny Pen had all the right ingredients to be a hidden gem but fails to bring them together effectively. It also badly needed better kills. I'd score it a 5/10.
