'Ebenezer' has too much of one thing, not enough of the other
by Valerie Cameron ksl · KSL.comKEY TAKEAWAYS
- The film 'Ebenezer' explores darker elements of Dickens' classic tale, creating mixed reactions.
- Rupert Grint's performance as Bob Cratchit is praised, overshadowing Johnny Depp's Scrooge.
- The film, directed by Ti West, releases Nov. 13, 2026, rated PG-13.
SALT LAKE CITY — Most people know A Christmas Carol and the story of Ebenezer Scrooge.
There have been numerous movies and TV shows made from it, such as "Scrooge" (1951), "Mickey's Christmas Carol" (1983), "A Christmas Carol" (1984) starring George C. Scott, "Scrooged" (1988), "The Muppet Christmas Carol" (1992) and "A Christmas Carol" (2009) starring Jim Carrey.
You may have watched a few of these films, but have you read the book? The story itself is much darker and scarier than most of the movies. Charles Dickens even subtitled it "Being a Ghost Story of Christmas."
The book includes moments that most films leave out or soften, such as the crowd of wailing phantoms Scrooge sees drifting outside his window after Marley's visit, and Marley's jaw dropping to his chest when he unties the cloth around his head.
The Ghost of Christmas Present also reveals two starving children, Ignorance and Want, hiding beneath his robe, and he ages and dies over the course of a single night. The Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come shows Scrooge thieves selling off a dead man's belongings, down to the curtains torn from his bed, before Scrooge realizes the man is himself.
In this version of the beloved Christmas tale, director Ti West leans into these spooky elements more than other films have, sometimes to the point of being too scary for the average audience member who is used to family-friendly versions of the story.
That said, I think West and screenwriter Nathaniel Halpern tried to play to too many audiences.
Some viewers will say the film doesn't go far enough toward the fright and horror of the story. They get a small taste halfway through, but it isn't enough to satisfy them. Others will say it's too scary for what they believe should be a classic experience for the whole family. So, were the filmmakers trying to please too many audiences instead of picking a side?
A star-studded cast
Let's talk about some positives. The cast is strong, and I know viewers will be excited to see these actors on the big screen.
One complaint they may have is that they don't see enough of a few of their favorites.
The standout performance of the film belongs to Harry Potter star Rupert Grint. It is nice to see him on the big screen again, and he captures the heart of who Bob Cratchit is. I saw Bob Cratchit, not Ron Weasley, and none of Rupert Grint himself. I believed him, and I would love to see him in more films.
Now let's talk about the big one: Johnny Depp. The last film Depp appeared in was Jeanne du Barry (2023), in which he played King Louis XV. There are die-hard Depp fans who will show up for any film he makes, but there have been some troubled waters for him over the past few years. Will people show up? And is makeup enough for Depp to disappear into such a beloved role?
There were moments in the film when I believed him as Scrooge. At the beginning, he does a great job of being the "bah, humbug" Scrooge we want to see. As the film went on, though, I saw more and more of what Depp is known for, and that is being Johnny Depp.
If you're going to this film to see Depp, you won't be disappointed. If you want to see Ebenezer, he drifts in and out of focus from scene to scene.
Let's talk about another positive in the film: the costumes and makeup. I was impressed by how well they captured the look and feel of the time period in which the story takes place. Ebenezer's makeup is seamless, and the ghosts are definitely haunting.
One of my favorite parts of the art direction is Scrooge and Marley's office. It feels just as familiar as it does in every movie I have seen; it matches the description in the book that I pictured in my head, and it becomes a quiet character of its own. If I can count on the small details to hit the right way, there is hope for the big stuff.
Moving on to the ghosts! There are three very different ghosts in the story, and this film makes them even more distinct from one another. As I said earlier in this review, West pushes the boundaries from scary to almost horror, and these ghosts are chilling.
My favorite is the Ghost of Christmas Present, played by Severance star Tramell Tillman. In most versions of "A Christmas Carol," the Ghost of Christmas Present is shown as only jolly, the "fun" one. In the book, he has a much darker side that represents some hard truths about us as human beings, and this film brings that dark side to the screen. The visuals of him as he moves through each scene are magical, scary and unsettling. The role is well played, the makeup is great and at times he is vulnerable enough to change Ebenezer's heart.
Conclusion
At the end of the day, this film is fine, and sometimes that can be the worst thing you can say about a film. Did it push enough boundaries for me to love it or hate it? No. Did it intrigue me at times? Yes.
There is nothing about this film that makes me want to text a friend and say, "You need to go see this movie." Do I think it was a total waste of time at the theater? No. It was a little two-dimensional and flat, but creative enough to keep you in your seat.
If you know everything I've told you before going in and you still want to see it, you may enjoy it more than I did. I don't think you'll add it to your yearly holiday traditions, but it will be something fun to do this year.
Grade: B
Rated: PG-13 (for frightening material)
Studio: Paramount Pictures, in association with Domain Entertainment
Director: Ti West
Screenplay: Nathaniel Halpern
Producer: Emma Watts
Executive Producers: Ti West, Adam Bohling, David Reid, Stephen Deuters, Jason Forman, Pete Chiappetta, Anthony Tittanegro, Andrew Lary
Starring: Johnny Depp (Ebenezer Scrooge), Ian McKellen (Jacob Marley), Rupert Grint (Bob Cratchit), Tramell Tillman (Ghost of Christmas Present), Sam Claflin (Fred), Andrea Riseborough, Daisy Ridley, Ellie Bamber, Arthur Conti, Henry Lloyd-Hughes, Charlie Murphy, Rose Williams
In theaters: Nov. 13, 2026
The Key Takeaways for this article were generated with the assistance of large language models and reviewed by our editorial team. The article, itself, is solely human-written.