Murder within retirement communities seems to be a rising theme in pop culture, driven in part by the popularity of Richard Osman’s The Thursday Murder Club, now being adapted by Netflix with an all-star cast. This genre has taken another dark turn with The Rule of Jenny Pen, an upcoming thriller that explores the sinister undercurrents lurking behind the seemingly peaceful walls of a nursing home.
The film, based on a short story by Owen Marshall, stars John Lithgow and Geoffrey Rush in chilling roles as two elderly residents locked in a battle of wills. Lithgow plays Dave Crealy, a sadistic resident who uses a dementia doll to torment the other residents, while Rush portrays Stefan Mortensen, a once-arrogant judge who is forced into the same nursing home after suffering a debilitating stroke. As Mortensen adjusts to his new life in the facility, he quickly becomes the target of Crealy’s increasingly disturbing antics. When staff members fail to intervene, Mortensen takes matters into his own hands to stop the reign of terror that Crealy has unleashed.
Directed by James Ashcroft, who co-wrote the screenplay with Eli Kent, The Rule of Jenny Pen delves into themes of power and cruelty in a setting where such behavior might seem least expected. Ashcroft has described the film as being about “tyranny in a place you least expect it.” He elaborated, “Tyrants grow quickly, like weeds when given the right conditions to thrive, and their actions often occur in private, behind closed doors, tucked away in the corners away from prying eyes. They are insidious in their intent—whether in the school yard, in corporate structures, governments, or in this case, a rest home.”
The film’s chilling premise is further explored in the newly released trailer, which depicts how Crealy’s malicious behavior escalates when unchecked, leaving Mortensen to confront a terror that grows out of sight yet festers in the shadows. Ashcroft notes that the most dangerous villains, both fictional and real, often lack imagination and derive power only by keeping others oppressed. “A coward with a dull mind can be a dangerous thing,” he remarked, adding that the film also examines the difficult choices individuals face in the face of such oppression, questioning whether it’s better to fight back or submit.
The Rule of Jenny Pen is set to premiere in theaters on March 7, 2025, promising a gripping, thought-provoking exploration of the dark side of aging and power in an unlikely setting.
