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The Rule of Jenny Pen, 2024
Stefan (Geoffrey Rush) is a judge who, after a debilitating stroke, is put into a care facility. But soon Stefan’s physical and mental recovery isn’t his biggest problem, as he realizes that the care home is basically ruled over by a demented resident, Dave (John Lithgow). Stefan’s roommate, Tony (George Henare), is a particular target of Dave’s cruelty, and when Stefan refuses to give in to Dave’s bullying, he steadily escalates his assaults.
While a bit overlong, this claustrophobic horror makes the most of a great cast and a haunting premise.
There are a handful of go-to characters that will evoke sympathy in most viewers: kids, animals, and the elderly. All of them have in common a degree of vulnerability, and the fact that in the real world we frequently hear of examples of abuse enabled by the powerlessness of the victims.
Where this film is interesting is that the main antagonist is not the expected: a sadistic nurse, a malicious doctor, or a greedy relative hoping for a generous inheritance. Instead, the villain of the piece is one of the residents. And while Dave himself is vulnerable in many ways---mental and physical disabilities---his strength of mind and body relative to his fellow residents makes him something like the one-eyed man in the kingdom of the blind.
In lesser hands, this could have been a pretty forgettable film. Instead, however, it is held more than aloft by engaging performances from all three lead characters. Rush is just really good in the lead role, portraying a man going through a multitude of experiences. Even before he experiences the terror and harassment at the hands of the demented Dave, Stefan is hit with the sudden loss of power. A man who once held a courtroom rapt and handed down life-changing decisions is now reduced to having his meals, his bathing, and all other intimate aspects of his life ruled over by cheery-but-indifferent residential staff.
Worse, Stefan is dealing with serious mental health side effects from his stroke. He often has what he calls “blips”, gaps of lost time. His visual perception is also skewed, and he is not totally able to grasp the degree to which his understanding of the world around him has been altered. We spend almost all of our time in Stefan’s point of view, but a handful of times that we step out of this perspective, we can see that he is not a reliable narrator of his own experiences.
Lithgow’s character is pretty over the top, and the gimmick that he constantly wears a baby doll puppet on his hand could have gone really, really wrong. But somehow, I don’t know, it just works. Lithgow is fully committed to the character, and his behaviors keep us guessing as to just how much his mental illness is genuine or faked. There are a lot of parts of the film that are totally outlandish---such as Dave repeatedly singing and dancing to the old timey song “Knees Up Mother Brown”---but the intensity of his performance mostly overcomes any silliness and keeps him firmly in the lane of menacing. His contempt for his fellow residents, and his delight in harming them and causing them distress, is so deep and demented that it’s hard to watch.
Finally, Henare’s performance as the tormented Tony gives the film a solid heart. Tony is a former professional athlete, and so his physical decline causes him intense embarrassment. He would rather allow himself to be tortured than let his loved ones know how vulnerable he has become. The complicated relationship that develops between Stefan and Tony adds weight to the movie and a more serious sense of stakes.
There are also some harrowing moments that have absolutely nothing to do with Dave, and simply explore the horrors of being helpless in an institution. Left alone by an attendant, Stefan nearly drowns in a bathtub when he slips and doesn’t have the strength to pull himself upright. In the most visually disturbing moment, for me, an entertainer comes into the facility wearing a garish red-lipped face mask. It’s hard to describe, and I can’t find a screen shot, but trust me: pure nightmare fuel. While it’s true that the residents are not mentally sound, it’s so hard to watch their fears and complaints be condescendingly dismissed.
There are two main issues with this film. First, it’s simply too long. It’s adapted from a short story, and you can see the strain of stretching it to feature length. Once we know Dave is a menace, there are a handful of scenes that feel like they are just repeating themselves. I also didn’t fully buy that a facility like this wouldn’t have security cameras. At the very least, you’d want a way to track residents, and there would be cameras at the entrances and exits, if not also in the hallways.
Worth checking out.
The Rule of Jenny Pen, 2024
Stefan (Geoffrey Rush) is a judge who, after a debilitating stroke, is put into a care facility. But soon Stefan’s physical and mental recovery isn’t his biggest problem, as he realizes that the care home is basically ruled over by a demented resident, Dave (John Lithgow). Stefan’s roommate, Tony (George Henare), is a particular target of Dave’s cruelty, and when Stefan refuses to give in to Dave’s bullying, he steadily escalates his assaults.
While a bit overlong, this claustrophobic horror makes the most of a great cast and a haunting premise.
There are a handful of go-to characters that will evoke sympathy in most viewers: kids, animals, and the elderly. All of them have in common a degree of vulnerability, and the fact that in the real world we frequently hear of examples of abuse enabled by the powerlessness of the victims.
Where this film is interesting is that the main antagonist is not the expected: a sadistic nurse, a malicious doctor, or a greedy relative hoping for a generous inheritance. Instead, the villain of the piece is one of the residents. And while Dave himself is vulnerable in many ways---mental and physical disabilities---his strength of mind and body relative to his fellow residents makes him something like the one-eyed man in the kingdom of the blind.
In lesser hands, this could have been a pretty forgettable film. Instead, however, it is held more than aloft by engaging performances from all three lead characters. Rush is just really good in the lead role, portraying a man going through a multitude of experiences. Even before he experiences the terror and harassment at the hands of the demented Dave, Stefan is hit with the sudden loss of power. A man who once held a courtroom rapt and handed down life-changing decisions is now reduced to having his meals, his bathing, and all other intimate aspects of his life ruled over by cheery-but-indifferent residential staff.
Worse, Stefan is dealing with serious mental health side effects from his stroke. He often has what he calls “blips”, gaps of lost time. His visual perception is also skewed, and he is not totally able to grasp the degree to which his understanding of the world around him has been altered. We spend almost all of our time in Stefan’s point of view, but a handful of times that we step out of this perspective, we can see that he is not a reliable narrator of his own experiences.
Lithgow’s character is pretty over the top, and the gimmick that he constantly wears a baby doll puppet on his hand could have gone really, really wrong. But somehow, I don’t know, it just works. Lithgow is fully committed to the character, and his behaviors keep us guessing as to just how much his mental illness is genuine or faked. There are a lot of parts of the film that are totally outlandish---such as Dave repeatedly singing and dancing to the old timey song “Knees Up Mother Brown”---but the intensity of his performance mostly overcomes any silliness and keeps him firmly in the lane of menacing. His contempt for his fellow residents, and his delight in harming them and causing them distress, is so deep and demented that it’s hard to watch.
Finally, Henare’s performance as the tormented Tony gives the film a solid heart. Tony is a former professional athlete, and so his physical decline causes him intense embarrassment. He would rather allow himself to be tortured than let his loved ones know how vulnerable he has become. The complicated relationship that develops between Stefan and Tony adds weight to the movie and a more serious sense of stakes.
There are also some harrowing moments that have absolutely nothing to do with Dave, and simply explore the horrors of being helpless in an institution. Left alone by an attendant, Stefan nearly drowns in a bathtub when he slips and doesn’t have the strength to pull himself upright. In the most visually disturbing moment, for me, an entertainer comes into the facility wearing a garish red-lipped face mask. It’s hard to describe, and I can’t find a screen shot, but trust me: pure nightmare fuel. While it’s true that the residents are not mentally sound, it’s so hard to watch their fears and complaints be condescendingly dismissed.
There are two main issues with this film. First, it’s simply too long. It’s adapted from a short story, and you can see the strain of stretching it to feature length. Once we know Dave is a menace, there are a handful of scenes that feel like they are just repeating themselves. I also didn’t fully buy that a facility like this wouldn’t have security cameras. At the very least, you’d want a way to track residents, and there would be cameras at the entrances and exits, if not also in the hallways.
Worth checking out.