For some reason, author Stephen King has become the voice of good horror movies. That makes sense because he is one of the most prolific horror authors in modern history, but does that make him an expert at the cineplex?
Maybe. His pull quote back in 1981 on the poster of The Evil Dead helped a young filmmaker named Sam Raimi become the renowned director he is today.
So what’s King’s latest accolade? It’s for a movie a movie called The Rule of Jenny Pen which stars John Lithgow and Geoffrey Rush. He took to X to give his thoughts.
I watched one of the best movies I've seen this year. It's called THE RULE OF JENNY PEN, and I urge you to watch it when it appears on Shudder. Geoffrey Rush stars, with John Lithgow as a geriatric psychopath with an evil hand puppet.
— Stephen King (@StephenKing) September 25, 2024
The film screened at Fantastic Fest this year and was purchased by Shudder. It should drop on the horror streamer in 2025.
Top Rotten Tomatoes critic Alison Foreman of IndieWire wrote of the film:
“What begins as an atypical use of two beloved actors gets more messy than complex in “The Rule of Jenny Pen.” And yet, the undaunted director, Ashcroft, approaches his vision with palpable conviction. It’s that same sort of boldness we’ve seen delivered throughout his stars’ decade-spanning acting careers, as well as definitive proof that the filmmaker can manage big name talent.”
Unfortunately, there is no trailer yet, but here’s the rundown:
“Stefan Mortensen, a misanthropic judge nearing the end of his career, suffers a stroke in the middle of a courtroom, forcing him into a nursing home. There, he encounters Dave Crealy, a long-time resident who terrorizes the other occupants using his doll, Jenny Pen, as the executor of his tyranny and a tool of torture. A showdown follows between the two men, escalating into violence and horror that will either lead to victory, or death.”
