‘Ebenezer’ Review: Does Johnny Depp’s Scrooge Haunt Christmas Past or Reinvent It?

‘Ebenezer’ lands in cinemas this week as the latest big screen retelling of ‘A Christmas Carol’, opening on 12 November in Australia and 13 November in the UK and US. It is a Paramount release and marks Johnny Depp’s return to a major studio production, with Ti West directing from a screenplay by Nathaniel Halpern.

West is best known for the ‘X’ trilogy, which includes ‘Pearl’, ‘X’ and ‘MaXXXINE’, so a Dickens adaptation from him raises obvious questions about tone. The film was shot in Dublin and London, and the ensemble around Depp is stacked. Rupert Grint plays Bob Cratchit, Sam Claflin is nephew Fred, Ian McKellen is Jacob Marley, and Andrea Riseborough, Tramell Tillman and Robert Strange play the three spirits.

Here is where I landed after the credits rolled. This is a handsome, faithful version of the story that hits every beat you expect, and its best ideas are the small mischievous changes around the edges. It never quite becomes the bold reinvention its director’s name might promise.

The new prologue is the highlight. Marley is still alive and trading grumbles with his business partner, and the scene ends on the eerie whistle of a boiling kettle that tells you West has not left his scary instincts at the door. A few other tweaks add real bite, like Scrooge accusing the charity collectors of pocketing the donations, and a grim fate for Fezziwig that helps explain why this man turned so hard. Belle is now a novelist, which gives her far more texture than the usual wronged sweetheart.

Depp is the main reason to buy a ticket. His Scrooge is cranky, theatrical and oddly funny, and that eccentric streak suits the heightened world West has built. He never feels like he wandered in from a different movie, which is no small thing given the baggage a Depp performance can carry into a room.

The look of the picture deserves praise too. The Victorian London sets drip with gothic atmosphere, and the art direction gives every street and counting house a chilly, lived in feel. The haunting imagery during the ghostly visits is where the film feels most alive.

Where it stumbles is familiarity. If you have seen this story told a few times, you will know where every scene is heading, and the horror touches are used more sparingly than I wanted. The three spirits and much of the supporting cast also get less room than their talent deserves, which leaves a few strong actors circling the edges of the frame.

Still, I left with a warm feeling and a surprising amount of respect for how sincerely the film plays its redemption. It is not a classic and it is not trying to replace the versions you grew up with, but it has style, a lively lead and enough fresh ideas to earn its place on the holiday shelf. I give it 7.5 out of 10.

Did Depp’s Scrooge win you over, or do you prefer your Christmas ghosts a little less gothic, and let me know in the comments if you agree with my verdict on ‘Ebenezer’?