THE RULE OF JENNY PEN

Following a debilitating stroke, Judge Stefan Mortensen (portrayed by Geoffrey Rush) moves into to an aged care facility to convalesce. There he encounters Dave Crealy (played by John Lithgow, complete with striking blue contact lenses and a set of fake crooked teeth) who terrorises his fellow residents with a sinister therapy doll-puppet named Jenny Pen. Mortensen’s attempts to alert the staff to what’s happening are ignored, allowing Crealy to continue his reign of torment. This psychological horror, a production from New Zealand, will hold your attention from beginning to end. It offers an unsettling portrayal of life within a high-dependency aged care environment. The overall mood of the film is dark with exceptional use of light to create shadowy sets that add to the tension. Rush delivers a powerful performance as the frustrated judge striving to end the terror, while Lithgow shines as the cruel and sociopathic Crealy. Gripping, disturbing, and well executed.