Johnny Depp Embraces Scrooge in Horror-tinged Dickens Adaptation

WHO:

Deadline - Johnny Depp stars as Ebenezer Scrooge in *Ebenezer*, directed by Ti West.

Reddit Movies - The listed cast includes Johnny Depp, Ian McKellen, Tramell Tillman, Rupert Grint, Daisy Ridley, Andrea Riseborough, and Nicholas Day.

Reddit Movies - Ian McKellen plays Jacob Marley; Andrea Riseborough plays the Ghost of Christmas Past. Sam Claflin plays Scrooge’s nephew, and Daisy Ridley plays his nephew’s wife.

MovieWeb - Ti West directs the film, and Johnny Depp plays Scrooge.

Screen Rant - Johnny Depp stars in the new big-screen adaptation of Charles Dickens’s tale; the article compares it with *The Muppet Christmas Carol*.

WHAT:

Reddit Movies - The plot follows miserly businessman Ebenezer Scrooge, haunted by three spirits on Christmas Eve, as he confronts his past, present, and future and gets a final chance to change and reconcile with people he has wronged.

Reddit Movies - The review thread reports a Rotten Tomatoes score of 55% and a Metacritic score of 50/100.

Reddit Movies - Reviews characterize the film as a gothic- or horror-flavored adaptation of *A Christmas Carol*. Critical reactions range from praise for its atmosphere, production design, and performances to criticism that it is familiar, slow, or uninspired.

Reddit Movies - Variety’s Guy Lodge praises the film’s atmosphere and Eve Stewart’s production design; he describes the London setting as a “dank, crooked re-creation.”

Reddit Movies - The Telegraph’s Robbie Collin rates the film 4/5 and praises the spirits, including Riseborough’s Ghost of Christmas Past and McKellen’s Marley.

Reddit Movies - The Hollywood Reporter’s Frank Scheck rates it 60/100 and says it may be the first version of the story “not really suitable for young children.”

Reddit Movies - The Guardian’s Peter Bradshaw rates it 3/5 and describes it as a faithful adaptation with some twists.

Reddit Movies - The HoloFiles’ George and Josh Bate rate it 7/10 and say it marks Depp’s return to major studio movies.

MovieWeb - The review calls the film a gothic-horror reimagining and says Depp’s role works because it “asks nothing new of him.”

Screen Rant - The article asks whether Depp’s adaptation can surpass *The Muppet Christmas Carol*.

WHY:

Reddit Movies - Several reviewers connect the story’s central conflict to Scrooge confronting his past and seeking redemption; reviews also discuss Depp’s return to major studio films.

HOW:

Reddit Movies - The film uses gothic imagery and horror elements, including fog, jump scares, church bells, and eerie clock chimes, while generally retaining Dickens’s familiar narrative.

Reddit Movies - Eve Stewart designed the production; Checco Varese handled cinematography; Nathaniel Halpern wrote the screenplay; Tyler Bates composed the score.

(UPDATED November 12, 2026 20:59 UTC)

Johnny Depp stars as Ebenezer Scrooge in Ti West’s gothic-horror adaptation of Dickens’s Christmas classic. Haunted by three spirits, Scrooge confronts his past and gets a chance at redemption. Reviews praise the atmosphere and performances, while some criticize the familiar story and slow pace.