Ebenezer Review: Dickens' Classic Remains The Same In Depp's Lukewarm Christmas Carol

Johnny Depp's A Christmas Carol, Ebenezer, is far from a total flop, but it fails to do what excellent adaptations must and find something new to say.

Published Nov 12, 2026, 12:00 PM EST

Liz Declan is a Lead Writer for ScreenRant, primarily covering movies. She is a massive fan of Star Wars, the MCU, and Supernatural. In addition to writing, Liz loves attending and covering conventions and interviewing actors. Find her on TikTok and Instagram @va.va.vera

'Tis the season to put out predictable Christmas tales, and Johnny Depp's brand-new movie, Ebenezer, gifts its viewers exactly that. If one thing is abundantly clear about Ebenezer from the jump, it's that the cast is beyond star-studded. Joining Johnny Depp as Ebenezer Scrooge are Ian McKellen as his business partner, Jacob Marley; Rupert Grint as his overworked, underpaid underling, Bob Cratchit; Sam Claflin as his considerably more upbeat nephew, Fred; and Daisy Ridley as Fred's wife, Clara, who isn't afraid to offer up a particularly cutting jab at Scrooge.

Notably, in addition to this movie gathering the stars of some of the biggest franchises in the industry, the decision to cast Depp in the leading role was a risky, automatically controversial one. This Paramount Pictures release marks Depp's return to big Hollywood productions following allegations of domestic abuse that resulted in a very public trial with his ex-wife, Amber Heard, in 2022. His last appearance in a major studio movie was as Gellert Grindelwald in Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, a role that was recast for its sequel.

While that is, in and of itself, an extratextual can of worms, Ti West's Ebenezer nevertheless deserves to be judged on its own merits, at the very least in fairness to the other cast members. When observed in that light, the film proves to be a fairly by-the-book adaptation of Charles Dickens' iconic Christmas story that ultimately falls flat, primarily because it fails to offer anything truly new to the conversation that has now been ongoing for nearly two centuries.

Ebenezer Is A Fine Movie, But That's All It Is

There's actually quite a bit to commend in Ebenezer. The supporting cast, for one, is superb. Ian McKellen unsurprisingly delivers a brilliant Jacob Marley, and both Rupert Grint and Sam Claflin are well suited to Bob Cratchit and Fred. The unexpected breakout is Daisy Ridley, whose character is one of few with multiple laugh lines, and it was nice to see her flex a muscle so different from the one she did as Rey in Star Wars.

Yet, for as much as the stellar supporting cast is a plus, it also represents one of the weakest points of Ebenezer. The film vastly underutilizes its secondary characters. Sure, Ebenezer is an adaptation of A Christmas Carol and is largely loyal to that storyline, and the title of the film alone suggests the movie is primarily focused on Scrooge. However, with this being (in theory) a deviation from the typical telling of Dickens' story, it would have made sense to toy around with the original plot at least a little.

Ebenezer just doesn't do enough to warrant yet another copy of the same story.

Had Ebenezer made riskier choices with its source material, it could have made better use of its supporting characters and showed more of their lives apart from Ebenezer Scrooge. This also would have been a major step toward addressing the single biggest issue with the movie: It does next to nothing to set itself apart as an adaptation of A Christmas Carol. Almost certainly, there would have been some degree of outrage over changes, but it would have been worth it if it meant an actually unique and interesting take on the classic story.

Instead, Ebenezer takes the safest route, adding another cinematic retelling to a pile that features Oscar-winning icons, the Muppets, uncanny valley Jim Carrey, and now Captain Jack Sparrow. (Yes, there are moments when Scrooge pulls a face or breaks into a goofy, frantic run that yank viewers out of the story by reminding them of Depp's most famous role.) What results is a pervasive "Why?" It's not clear what necessitated yet another version of this very well-trod Christmas classic.

Credit: MovieStillsDB

It truly isn't all a wash, though. In fact, were it one of only a few adaptations of A Christmas Carol, it would be a more than decent one; for the likely very few who are seeing this story on the big screen for the first time, it will probably feel like a respectable version of Dickens' novella. In the larger context of this legacy, however, Ebenezer just doesn't do enough to warrant yet another copy of the same story.

Ebenezer will be released in theaters nationwide on Friday, November 13.