Johnny Depp’s Big Comeback ‘Ebenezer’ Haunts Critics as Rotten Tomatoes Score Is Revealed

Johnny Depp’s ‘Ebenezer‘ is a darker, ghost-story-flavored spin on Charles Dickens’ ‘A Christmas Carol’, directed by horror filmmaker Ti West. The story follows miserly businessman Ebenezer Scrooge as 3 spirits push him to confront his past, present and future on Christmas Eve, giving him 1 last chance to reconcile with those he has wronged. Paramount’s film arrives in theaters on November 13.

Few holiday releases carry as much curiosity as this one. Depp is making his first big screen appearance in 8 years with the project. Paramount first showed footage from the film at CinemaCon in April 2026.

Now that critics have weighed in, the Tomatometer for ‘Ebenezer’ sits at 45% based on 20 reviews. The audience Popcornmeter has not yet filled in. For a film Paramount is positioning as a major holiday tentpole, that is a middling opening score, and it will likely shift as more reviews arrive.

Ahead of release, traders on the prediction market Kalshi had projected a 36.8% critics’ score. So the early number landed above that forecast. Early reactions had praised Depp’s performance while questioning whether the film offers anything new to the classic story.

The more favorable reviews lean on Depp’s return to form. 1 critic called the film a career redemption, saying it gives Depp his best showcase in years even though the role asks nothing of him he hasn’t done before. Another reviewer wrote that Depp gives a unique yet familiar interpretation of Scrooge and described the film as very well cast.

The tone is also drawing attention. That reviewer described it as not a family-friendly version, but an honest retelling of a ghost story with menacing characters. West’s horror background shows in the scares, and 1 review singled out the door knocker scene as effectively realized. Even a critic who disliked the film admitted that it is gorgeous to look at.

The negative reviews focus on the same performance. Screen Daily called the film an uninspiring, unnecessary drama that puts caricature ahead of character, and said Depp draws on the eccentric playbooks of Captain Jack Sparrow, the Mad Hatter and Willy Wonka. IndieWire went further, calling the film dull and dreary and arguing that Depp’s performance undermines it from the start.

Others take issue with the story itself. The marketing promised “The name you know, the story you don’t,” but 1 critic found the film beat for beat the same as most other adaptations. There is also a question of audience. It is rated PG-13 in the US and 12A in the UK, and Screen Daily felt it aims at families but may prove too intense for young children, leaving it in the mediocre middle.

Think you know his story? Think again. Johnny Depp is Ebenezer Scrooge. The spirits arrive in the official new trailer for EBENEZER – only in theatres November 13. https://t.co/cb6p9JBq9C

— Ebenezer (@ebenezermovie) October 1, 2026

The supporting cast is packed with familiar faces. Rupert Grint plays Bob Cratchit and Tramell Tillman plays the Ghost of Christmas Present, alongside Andrea Riseborough, Ian McKellen, Daisy Ridley, Sam Claflin, Charlie Murphy and Arthur Conti. Nathaniel Halpern wrote the screenplay. The film runs 1h 56m.

That ensemble gives the film plenty of star power beyond its lead. It also means the movie has more going for it than the Scrooge debate alone suggests. Whether audiences agree with the critics on Depp’s performance is the open question.

The box office picture is hard to read. Forecasters noted that the macabre tone makes the film’s opening difficult to predict, and that West’s recent horror trilogy opened to $4.2M for ‘X’, $3.1M for ‘Pearl’ and $6.7M for ‘MaXXXine’ domestically. Those are modest numbers, though ‘Ebenezer’ is a much bigger studio release.

Some overseas markets got the film before the US. It opened wide in markets including South Korea and France on November 11, and in Germany on November 12. Those early results should offer a first read on how general audiences respond.

For now, ‘Ebenezer’ looks like a polarizing take on a story people have seen many times. Fans of Depp’s eccentric style may find plenty to enjoy, while viewers wanting something fresh may side with the critics.

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