Ebenezer – Movie Review
There have been seemingly endless adaptations of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, with each generation finding a new way to revisit Ebenezer Scrooge and his supernatural journey towards redemption. We’ve had animated retellings, Muppet musical extravaganzas and modern adaptations, but surprisingly few have truly embraced the ghoulishness of Dickens’ original vision and beneath the familiar Christmas cheer is a genuinely macabre ghost story, concerned with death, damnation and the terrifying prospect of a life wasted.
Enter Ti West, whose horror credentials make him an unexpectedly appropriate choice to revisit this seasonal classic. With Ebenezer, West reveals the Gothic darkness lurking beneath Dickens’ beloved Christmas fable, delivering a suitably spooky and ultimately heartwarming journey of holiday redemption.
Everyone knows Ebenezer Scrooge (Johnny Depp), a miserly businessman whose obsession with wealth and success has left him bitter, isolated and indifferent to the suffering of others. On Christmas Eve, he is confronted by the ghost of his former business partner, Jacob Marley (Ian McKellen), who warns him of the fate awaiting those who live without compassion. Subsequently visited by three spirits representing Christmas Past (Andrea Riseborough), Present (Tramell Tillman) and Yet to Come, Scrooge must confront the decisions that have shaped his life, the people he has hurt and the terrifying consequences of the person he has become.
Whilst billed as “the characters you know, the story you don’t”, those expecting substantial departures from Dickens’ original may be surprised by just how faithful Ebenezer proves to be. Rather than reinventing the familiar narrative, West understands what has made this story endure, finding new ways to explore both its Christmas cheer and unsettling supernatural foundations. ‘A Christmas Carol’ is a ghost story first and foremost, and whilst many adaptations lean towards the mystical or sentimental, Ebenezer embraces the Gothic horror of Dickens’ writing. Its hauntings are less intended to shock and terrify than to unsettle, linger and prompt deeper reflection.
West’s horror background makes him a particularly strong choice. His understanding of atmosphere, practical effects and unsettling imagery gives the film a distinctly different texture from its predecessors. The spirits feel genuinely otherworldly, whilst the Victorian setting is wonderfully realised through impressive production design, costumes, makeup and prosthetic work. Importantly, however, West never allows the horror to overwhelm the heart of the story. The supernatural encounters confront Scrooge with his mortality, forcing him to recognise that the greatest monster may well be the man staring back at him in the mirror.
Johnny Depp is curmudgeonly as the eponymous Scrooge, delivering a performance that is simultaneously theatrical, eccentric and surprisingly vulnerable. He gradually reveals the humanity buried beneath the bitterness, making this perhaps his strongest performance since Black Mass a decade ago. The supporting ensemble, particularly McKellen, Tillman, Riseborough and Rupert Grint as Bob Cratchit, is similarly well cast, although some other recognisable faces are perhaps underutilised given their considerable star power.
Seasonal, spiritual and faithful, Ebenezer is a suitably spooky ghost story that captures the Gothic Victorian era whilst retaining the magical fable and enduring warmth of Dickens’ classic. With a wonderfully curmudgeonly Depp leading the way, West demonstrates that his horror sensibilities can translate into a commercial, broadly appealing production without sacrificing its humanity. Pleasantly surprised by just how much I enjoyed this, I feel very comfortable recommending Ebenezer as a potential definitive adaptation for a new generation and an easy addition to the Christmas viewing calendar.
Ebenezer is in Australian cinemas November 12
