Ebenezer

This appears to be the year that problematic Hollywood vets return to the big screen, and doing so with the help of facial embellishments. In the autumn, we had Tom Cruise beyond recognition in Digger, and joining him in the ranks is Johnny Depp, complete with putty jowls and a prosthetic nose as Ebenezer Scrooge. One of the most famous redemption arcs in fiction relaunches Depp with a seeming one of his own. With A24 favourite Ti West at the helm, Ebenezer puts a horror spin on the Dickens classic, with middling results.

The film opens with a Hammer horror-style crimson credits sequence, juxtaposed with shots of chickens being beheaded and the impoverished shivering on London’s cobbled streets. It’s a promising start, but one that is, alas, never fully developed upon. What follows is an almost direct retelling of A Christmas Carol with a smattering of gothic intrigue along the way.

When it does lean into gothic horror – with Sleepy Hollow-esque sequences of foggy Victorian London – it’s rather striking. Particularly evocative are Andrea Riseborough as the Ghost of Christmas Past, a billowy white figure with eyes turned inward, and Tramell Tillman’s the Ghost of Christmas Present, who offers a glimpse into the true horrors of the Victorian workhouses. But that’s the problem – these are mere snippets, and the film is far too thematically inconsistent to be effective, often descending into farce.

Complete with all the Deppisms we’ve come to expect, the actor does his trademark English schtick as the irascible miser. But as the star struggles through a by-the-numbers narrative, even he cannot convince us that this was a necessary adaptation. And throughout it all, it’s hard to reconcile this comeback with the horrors of Depp’s alleged history of domestic abuse. Whether Ebenezer will mark the start of his renaissance, or become a signifier of his estrangement within the industry, remains to be seen.

For the grinchy among us who bemoan “Bah! Humbug!” at the flurry of cosy Christmas flicks hitting the big screen, the movie may offer some respite with its evocative visuals. But for fans of the actor hoping to see his former magic reignited – and those who had high hopes for a horror twist on the Dickens classic – it’s unlikely to live up to expectations. However, the numbers may prove us wrong, as the ghost of box office future has yet to pay a visit.

Antonia Georgiou

Ebenezer is released nationwide on 13^th November 2026.

Watch the trailer for Ebenezer here: