Ebenezer review: is Johnny Depp's Scrooge worth seeing?

Ebenezer, the latest version of the Charles Dickens Scrooge tale, is a good, well made take on the story, and Johnny Depp is really solid as Ebenezer Scrooge. My honest catch is that this is a story you've seen a million times over, and the film doesn't go far outside the box. These are my immediate thoughts straight out of the theater. The review embargo hadn't lifted yet.

Ti West brings a macabre, horror style edge to Ebenezer

Ti West directs Ebenezer (2026), so the big question going in was what style he'd bring to it. You can see it on screen, because this version has a macabre edge. Andrea Riseborough's Ghost of Christmas Past is creepy and feels like something out of a horror movie.

That leads to one clear warning. It's not for kids. It gets pretty creepy.

Beyond that style, though, there are only so many times you can tell this tale without going too far outside the box, and they don't. You know the story beats. You know what happens. I'm not going to tell you that you've never seen a version like this before.

Johnny Depp and a strong supporting cast make Ebenezer work

The performance by Depp is really solid. He "loses himself in the character like he always does," and he brings a nice version of Scrooge. The supporting cast absolutely works too. Whether it's Rupert Grint or Daisy Ridley, there are so many different people in this one who help make the movie work, and it does work for sure.

Still, I have to ask whether they needed to make this movie again. The answer is no, not really. There are enough versions across many decades that work and that you could see at Christmas.

Why Ebenezer plays like a long running Broadway show with a new cast

The way I'd suggest approaching it is this: "it almost reminds me of like a Broadway play." Picture a show that has been running for 30, 40 or 50 years, with the cast changing out over time, and this year they got Johnny Depp in the lead role. This version has this cast for this limited time.

I think if you look at it that way, you're going to enjoy it. The real question is how they do it, and I think Ti West, Depp and the rest of the cast do a good job. If you're going to see it, I think you'll enjoy it. In the end, "This is a good version of a story that you've seen a million times over," and Depp is great in it.