First Reactions To Johnny Depp's Ebenezer Are Officially In

Depp returns to the big screen, this time as Ebenezer Scrooge, in Ti West’s new take on the Charles Dickens classic, A Christmas Carol. The cast also includes Rupert Grint as Bob Cratchit, Andrea Riseborough as the Ghost of Christmas Past, Tramell Tillman as the Ghost of Christmas Present, Robert Strange as the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come, Sam Claflin as Scrooge’s nephew, Fred, Daisy Ridley as Fred’s wife, Clara, and Ian McKellen as Scrooge’s dead business partner, Jacob Marley.

After select critics got to see the film, JimmyO of JoBlo.com admits, “I was not terribly excited about the prospect of another Christmas Carol.” However, “Ti West’s Ebenezer presents a darker look at this Christmas fable. Yet it brings more sincerity than many of the earlier efforts.” Additionally, “Johnny Depp gives a layered performance as Scrooge. And while it is cartoonish at times, it is far more layered than the trailer would suggest. You actually see his growth with each spirit visiting him. It’s my favorite Depp performance in a few years.”

Andrea Carnevali was also skeptical about yet another A Christmas Carol adaptation, but was pleasantly surprised and won over by how the movie embraces the horror elements of the story in a way that is faithful to the source material and moving to watch: “I didn’t think I needed another Christmas Carol film, but Ebenezer really surprised me. It embraced the horror side of the story at its fullest but it’s one of the best and most faithful adaptations of Dickens… and it looked beautiful too. I even got teary at the end.”

Phil Roberts was impressed by West’s approach to the well-known story, Depp’s performance, and an ending that works better than previous adaptations: “Ti West’s Ebenezer puts a bold spin on Dickens’ classic, delivering a sincere period piece infused with heart and despair. Johnny Depp is magnetic throughout Scrooge’s soft redemption arc leading to a finale that delivers more emotional resonance than its predecessors. Humbug!”

MaryAnn Johanson candidly describes the movie as “utterly superfluous,” while Lewis (Taylor’s Version) declares that “there are no superlatives to describe how truly Ebenezer awful is. Excluding the production design and score. Every single element is chaotic, mismatched and horrifically ill judged. Ti West? I love you. But this was a complete and utter bust. Shameful. Avoid it like the plague.”

For DawsOnScreen, Ebenezer shows why West is well-suited to taking on bigger movies, while also feeling that this particular one does not have anything new to say about the very familiar story, and ends up being more about Depp’s return than the film itself. Check out his full reaction below:

EBENEZER is a much more gothic take on A Christmas Carol than you are expecting and it’s a great case study as to why Ti West should handle bigger blockbuster stories. It Oozes style and performances are solid throughout. That being said it’s incredibly well worn territory and it doesn’t exactly have anything new to say.

It does feel like this serves more as a way to get Johnny Depp back into the mainstream than it does to create a unique film experience. The irony of the story used is certainly not lost on me. That being said, it’s an enjoyably dark Christmas film that I’m sure family’s will have fun with!

EBENEZER is a much more gothic take on A Christmas Carol than you are expecting and it’s a great case study as to why Ti West should handle bigger blockbuster stories. It Oozes style and performances are solid throughout. That being said it’s incredibly well worn territory and it doesn’t exactly have anything new to say.

It does feel like this serves more as a way to get Johnny Depp back into the mainstream than it does to create a unique film experience. The irony of the story used is certainly not lost on me. That being said, it’s an enjoyably dark Christmas film that I’m sure family’s will have fun with!

A similar sentiment comes from Ren Geekness, explaining that “I’m a sucker for A Christmas Carol & Ebenezer hits all the beats right, but nothing’s distinct or unique about this version. Fantastic set design, production & sound design, but it’s just Depp doing cooky Scrooge, nothing more than his old tricks… Claflin & Grint innocent.”

Based on these first reactions, the overall reception to Ebenezer will be mixed. Depp’s performance is hailed as a consistent highlight, while being inevitably intertwined with the controversy surrounding the actor and the narrative of him being in a mainstream movie again. The production design is another area receiving considerable acclaim already. West’s take on the classic and whether it brings anything new or meaningful to A Christmas Carol is what is proving to be more divisive.

For Depp, Ebenezer‘s reception and how the movie performs at the box office is a test for this new stage of his career. He has another film coming next year with Day Drinker, a supernatural revenge thriller directed by Marc Webb and also starring Madelyn Cline and Penélope Cruz. Day Drinker‘s prospects will become clearer after seeing how Ebenezer performs financially, critically, and with general audiences.