Fantastic Fest 2024 kicked off with a bang yesterday. Many titles were at the festival, including The Rule of Jenny Pen, Never Let Go, and an acid trip of a concert with a weird fast-food-inspired band called Mac Sabbath. The festival also gave horror fans a debut for the latest sequel, Terrifier 3. We were able to catch all of these experiences, but for now, we will be discussing the opening night film The Rule of Jenny Pen. In it, legendary actor John Lithgow plays another villain role, much like his iconic turn in Dexter.
Is this movie worth seeing? Here are our thoughts about the movie that kicked off Fantastic Fest 2024.
John Lithgow and Geoffrey Rush star in The Rule of Jenny Pen
Filmmaker James Ashcroft made a tense thriller called Coming Home In the Dark a few years back. The film utilized the paranoia of being on vacation and the possible threats of being attacked while away. It was a strong, independently made film with blustering tension, cinematography, and strong performances. Based on the film, it’s little wonder how Ashcroft managed to secure the talents of John Lithgow and Geoffrey Rush. Their latest collaboration, The Rule of Jenny Pen, invokes the demented spirit of Stephen King’s Misery.
The film stars Geoffrey Rush as Judge Stefan Mortensen (Rush), a career professional in the court who suffers a stroke while sentencing a child predator. Soon after, the honorable Stefan is placed in a group home for the elderly who require caregiving. In these moments, the writing does a fantastic job depicting the anxieties of getting older. Stefan has no way to clean himself and can barely grab objects to feed himself. Rush remains a top-tier performer, demonstrating empathy in his performance for those who are facing anger and sadness in their aging bodies.
The film then adds an extra layer of anxiety with an unbearable individual named Dave Crealy (John Lithgow), who runs around the home at night, pushing dominance over the weak. Much like the other patients, Crealy seems to carry a lot of bitterness. But unlike the others, Crealy takes it out on the other residents using the mechanics of a puppet. And he finds it to be a fun challenge when Judge Mortensen will not bend the knee.
From here, we find ourselves in an experience almost akin to Misery. Lithgow’s twisted character, Crealy, taunts and tortures Mortensen night after night and manages to push the staff into thinking Mortensen is fabricating the experiences. Filmmaker Ashcroft adds an extra layer of chaos by using editing and cinematography to immerse the viewer into the mindset of someone experiencing stroke symptoms. Time lapses occur, and all of a sudden, Mortensen will be staring at the floor at a lunch table, then see the floor moving beneath him in a wheelchair.
Final thoughts and where you can catch this film
This reviewer has small nitpicks about the film. The similarities between the two (Misery and Jenny Pen) are somewhat on the nose at times, and at one point, a song has a chorus with the words ” Misery” echoing through the visuals. Lithgow’s motivations, including his backstory, are somewhat frustratingly ambiguous. One might argue, “The mystery is the point,” but for myself, there was more to be desired.
Even though not perfect, The Rule of Jenny Pen is Stephen King’s Misery for the geriatric. It is a scary reminder of how vulnerable we are as time passes, and how easily one can feed on the vulnerability. John Lithgow is unsettlingly brilliant. It’s not as intense as Coming Home in the Dark, but Rush and his performances make it worth watching.
As for where to watch The Rule of Jenny Pen, it’s currently screening at Fantastic Fest 2024, and Variety recently reported that AMC owned Shudder acquired it. The film is expected to debut on Shudder in 2025. Stay tuned to The Cosmic Circus for more coverage of Fantastic Fest, and be sure to visit our YouTube page, where we will be updating details about the festival daily. The next titles include Anora and a Secret Screening, playing close to midnight.
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