'Harry Potter’s' Dumbledore Turns Psycho in Stephen King’s Top 21st Century Horror
Low-budget thriller shocks with chilling performance and haunting slow-burn suspense.
Okay, so here’s the tea: Stephen King — yes, the horror god himself — has named a low-budget horror flick The Rule of Jenny Pen as one of the very best films of the 21st century. I mean, this guy does not hand out compliments lightly, so you know this is serious.
Directed by James Ashcroft, this creepy little gem barely hit cinemas but found its home on Shudder in March 2025 — and it’s already being hailed as a modern classic.
The story? Picture this: Dave, an old bloke in a care home who seems like your typical sweet grandad during the day, but when night falls, he becomes a downright terrifying puppeteer using a rag doll named Jenny Pen to mess with the other residents. Creepy, right?
And guess who plays Dave? John Lithgow — yes, the Emmy-winning star you might recognise from Dexter and, wait for it, the new Dumbledore in HBO’s Harry Potter series. Who knew Dumbledore could be this twisted?
What I love about this film is that it’s not about cheap jump scares. Nope. It’s that slow, sticky kind of fear that lingers, with a chilling finale that creeps up on you like a northern wind. King himself tweeted:
"This is one of the best films of the year. I highly recommend watching it."
Honestly, when King puts a film up there with giants like Oppenheimer and No Country for Old Men, I’m all in. And the fact this masterpiece was made on a shoestring budget? It just proves you don’t need a blockbuster budget to deliver spine-tingling brilliance.
If you’re into horror that messes with your head (and your nerves), The Rule of Jenny Pen is absolutely worth your time. Trust me, you’ll be thinking about that rag doll long after the credits roll.
