Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol has made its way to the big screen since 1901. I’ve seen enough versions of this story to know exactly where it’s going, which is why I loved that Ti West treats Ebenezer like a true ghost story. Working from a script by Nathaniel Halpern, West puts his own stamp on the Dickens classic, with Johnny Depp as Ebenezer Scrooge, Rupert Grint as Bob Cratchit and Ian McKellen as Jacob Marley starring.
If you don’t know the story of Ebenezer Scrooge, it’s pretty straightforward. Scrooge is a miserable old man who cares about making money and sees kindness or generosity as a weakness, especially when it comes to his employee, Bob Cratchit. On Christmas Eve, he’s visited by the ghost of his former business partner, Jacob Marley, followed by three spirits who take him through his past, present and future. By the end of the night, Scrooge has seen how he became the man he is and what his future holds if he keeps living the way that he is living.
So many great actors have played Scrooge over the years, from Michael Caine in The Muppet Christmas Carol to the late, great Patrick Stewart, who played him on television and onstage. For me, Johnny Depp’s performance ranks among the best. Depp has always had a gift for disappearing into his characters, and he takes command of the screen here. As you go on this journey with him, you start to understand how Scrooge became this miserable, and you can’t help but feel for him. Yes, that’s in the script, but it’s up to the actor to make you believe it, and Depp does that with such ease. He also finds more humor in Scrooge than I expected. I’m used to seeing that side of the character in movies like Scrooged and Spirited, so it was fun to see Depp find room for it in a version this spooky.
I also loved watching Depp play off his co-stars. Andrea Riseborough as the Ghost of Christmas Past and Tramell Tillman as the Ghost of Christmas Present were my favorites in the supporting cast. Both make these familiar characters a lot creepier than we are used to seeing them, and they’re stunning to look at. The costume designers and the hair and makeup team deserve a lot of credit for that. The crafts are spectacular across the board as well. The cinematography, production design and visual effects are also superb and truly create this world that Scrooge is living in.
West was the perfect choice for this movie. He knows how to make a scene feel unsettling, and there are enough spooky moments here to give younger viewers who are just getting into horror a taste of what the genre can do. I also appreciated the few places where Halpern gives the dialogue a more modern touch. There’s a scene between Ebenezer and Bob Cratchit near the end that especially stood out to me. It’s a small change, but when you’ve seen this story as many times as I have, those are the moments you pick up on and remember.
If you already have a favorite version of A Christmas Carol, I think there’s plenty here to make Ebenezer worth seeing in a theater. I went in knowing a lot about Scrooge’s journey and still found myself thoroughly invested in the story and these characters. Its hard to deny that Depp is a biggest reason why most people will want to watch this film and I can’t lie that he was the biggest draw for me as a viewer. He brings his own humor and heart to a character I’ve known my entire life, and to me, this film is just another reminder of why he’s one of the greatest actors of all time. I do think audiences are going to remember his version of Scrooge for many years to come.
Grade: 7.5 out of 10
