Spoilers don’t need another reason to fear dolls.

This is the kind of movie that I start, stop, put down and come back again after a day or two. I didn’t know if I was going to review this one, and frankly I’m still on the fence on whether I should. This is not a scary or frightful film, but more of one of those where the horror comes from the slow realization that time is not on your side. There are no supernatural frights, but often the film does use effects to empathize the oppressive and depressive atmosphere of the film.

(Credit: Shudder)

The Rule of Jenny Pen (2025) was directed by James Ashcroft, who wrote the script with Eli Kent. It’s all based on a short story by Owen Marshall. Judge Stefan Mortensen (Geoffrey Rush) has suffered a stroke that has left him partially immobile. He has been moved into a home for the elderly and shares a room with Tony (George Henare). Stefan sees most of the people and the home as below him, and his entitled act and constant complaints alienates the staff. However the real suffering doesn’t start until he meets the resident bully, Dave Crealy (John Lithgow). He acts aloof during the day, but at night he has the run of the facility, psychologically abusing and torturing the other residents using a children’s doll, Jenny Pen.

There are two undertows in this film. One is the increasing torment of the residents by Dave, that seems to be heightened by Stefan’s defiance. The other is Stefan realizing his condition is getting worse and he soon will not have neither the physical nor mental faculties to stop Dave. As much as this is movie is a slow burn, it’s also a slow thriller. Time is running out.

It works on some aspects more than other. The oppressing atmosphere is the rather isolated fringe world in which the residents of the elderly home live. The residents cannot ask for help or assistance. The staff does not get involved, nor care for what happens. If it feels cold, it’s because it is. The movie is more appalling than scary. In that sense, it is more of a drama with some horror elements.

Not recommended as a horror film, but it does make for a drama with psychological thriller vibes. The slow pace does bring the film down, but at least it wraps up its main storyline. That being said, it does betray its source as a short story that has been elongated to a full feature. Not sure if it’s worth a watch since this one is one cup of tea that takes a while to boil.

That will do for now.