THE RULE OF JENNY PEN (John Lithgow and Geoffrey Rush) out now in cinemas

★★★★
‘Dread soaked tension‘

‘Profoundly perverse’

‘One of the best movies I’ve seen this year‘

Stephen King

Shudder and Vertigo Releasing are thrilled to confirm the release of the twisted thriller
The Rule of Jenny Pen. The film is out now in UK and Ireland cinemas.

Arrogant Judge Stefan Mortensen (Rush) suffers a near-fatal stroke, leaving him partially paralyzed and confined to a retirement home. Resistant to the staff and distant from his friendly roommate, Mortensen soon clashes with seemingly gentle resident Dave Crealy (Lithgow) who secretly terrorizes the home with a sadistic game called “The Rule of Jenny Pen” while wielding his dementia doll as an instrument of cruelty. What begins as childish torment quickly escalates into far more sinister and disturbing incidents. When Mortensen’s pleas to the staff go
unanswered, he takes it upon himself to put an end to Crealy’s reign of terror.

The Rule of Jenny Pen is directed by James Ashcroft (Coming Home in the Dark) and has played at Sitges Film Festival and Fantastic Fest, where it won Best Actor (Geoffrey Rush) and Best Director (James Ashcroft)

ABOUT VERTIGO RELEASING

Vertigo Releasing is committed to discovering and championing the most important part of film: the talent. Our releases have grossed over $100 million at the box office. Recent releases include Thailand’s record-setting, Academy Award-shortlisted heartwarmer HOW TO MAKE MILLIONS BEFORE GRANDMA DIES; Alice Lowe’s anti-rom-com TIMESTALKER starring Alice (PREVENGE), Nick Frost (HOT FUZZ), and Jacob Anderson (GAME OF THRONES); Luna Carmoon’s HOARD, which was recently nominated for 6 BIFAs; and electrifying horror thriller LATE NIGHT WITH DEVIL, which made a ‘killing’ at the UK & US box office, with press calling it ‘this generation’s EXORCIST’. Upcoming releases include family adventure THE SLOTH LANE, starring comedian Leslie Jones; SANTOSH, the political thriller meets crime procedural, which won 2 BIFAs and is longlisted for the 2025 BAFTA Film Awards; Lorcan Finnegan’s latest hit THE SURFER, which premiered this year in Cannes and the BFI London Film Festival, and stars Nicolas Cage in the titular role; and LAST SWIM, starring newcomer Deba Hekmat as a British-Iranian teen exploring London with her closest friends while secretly grappling with a life-changing decision.

 

ABOUT IFC FILMS

IFC Films is a leading U.S. distributor of independent cinema that is operated by AMC Networks Inc. The company has been at the forefront of championing boundary-pushing, thought-provoking films for 25 years, with a commitment to delivering high-quality, filmmaker-driven cinema across all genres. IFC Films’ slate reaches a national audience through theatrical releases, cable Video On Demand (VOD), and digital platforms.

Some of the company’s successes over the years include Andrew Haigh’s 45 YEARS, Jennifer Kent’s THE BABADOOK, Matthew Johnson’s BLACKBERRY, Richard Linklater’s BOYHOOD, Armando Iannucci’s THE DEATH OF STALIN, Noah Baumbach’s FRANCES HA, David France’s HOW TO SURVIVE A PLAGUE, Chris Nash’s IN A VIOLENT NATURE, Colin and Cameron Cairnes’ LATE NIGHT WITH THE DEVIL, Stephen Frears’ THE LOST KING, Adam Elliot’s MEMOIR OF A SNAIL, Olivier Assayas’ PERSONAL SHOPPER, Tran Anh Hung’s THE TASTE OF THINGS, Michael Winterbottom’s THE TRIP, and Chloe Okuno’s WATCHER.

 

ABOUT SHUDDER

AMC Networks’ Shudder stands as the leading curatorial voice and cultural destination for genre entertainment, delivering an unparalleled selection of horror, thrillers, and the supernatural. With an ever-expanding library of films, TV series, and exclusive Originals, Shudder is accessible across most streaming devices in the US, Canada, the UK, Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand.

Shudder releases approximately thirty films per year, and has redefined genre streaming with a slate of groundbreaking and critically acclaimed titles, including Rob Savage’s HOST, Jayro Bustamante’s Golden Globe-nominated LA LLORONA, Phil Tippett’s MAD GOD, Coralie Fargeat’s REVENGE, Kyle Edward Ball’s SKINAMARINK, Christian Tafdrup’s SPEAK NO EVIL, Chloe Okuno’s WATCHER, Demián Rugna’s WHEN EVIL LURKS, and the latest installments in the V/H/S franchise. Shudder also boasts fan-favorite series such as the two-time Emmy Award-nominated THE BOULET BROTHERS’ DRAGULA, Mark Duplass’ THE CREEP TAPES, Greg Nicotero’s CREEPSHOW, and THE LAST DRIVE-IN WITH JOE BOB BRIGGS. Notable recent releases include Veronika Franz and Severin Fiala’s THE DEVIL’S BATH, Chris Nash’s IN A VIOLENT NATURE, Sébastien Vaniček’s INFESTED, Colin and Cameron Cairnes’ LATE NIGHT WITH THE DEVIL, Damian McCarthy’s ODDITY, and Robert Morgan’s STOPMOTION.