Ti West's «Ebenezer» with Johnny Depp draws mixed reviews from critics

Ti West's «Ebenezer», a Christmas Carol adaptation starring Johnny Depp as Scrooge, has received a mixed critical reception, with reviewers split over its tone, its performances and whether it justifies a return to Dickens's familiar story. Many critics rate the film somewhere between 2.5 and 3.5 out of 4 or 5, while several others give it 5 out of 10 or lower, and IndieWire awards it a C-.

The film is set in Victorian London on Christmas Eve, when Scrooge is visited by three spirits who force him to confront his past, present and future. The cast also includes Ian McKellen, Tramell Tillman, Rupert Grint and Daisy Ridley. For Depp, it marks his first major studio role since 2018, a return that has drawn attention in its own right. Some critics have tied their commentary on the film to his offscreen controversies, folding the question of his public standing into their assessment of the work itself.

West is best known for horror films such as X, Pearl and MaXXXine, and that background shapes how many reviewers approach the material. A darker, horror-tinged mood is one of the most consistently noted qualities in the early reactions. Critics describe an atmospheric production that leans into shadow and unease, transforming a holiday tale into something closer to a gothic haunting. Several reviewers single out production designer Eve Stewart for a recreation of Victorian London that gives the story its physical weight, with streets, interiors and period detail carrying much of the film's mood.

On fidelity to the source, critics are more in agreement than on almost anything else. Many say the adaptation stays close to Dickens's original structure and characters and does not attempt to reinvent the tale. Supporters see that restraint as a strength, a respect for a text that has survived more than a century and a half of adaptations. Detractors read the same choice as a limitation, arguing that a story so often retold needed a sharper reason to exist. The reviews leave little doubt that West chose reverence over reinvention, even as they disagree on whether that choice pays off.

Reactions to Depp's performance are the sharpest point of division. Some reviewers praise a restrained approach to Scrooge, finding in the familiar miser a quieter, more interior figure than the archetype usually suggests. Others find the portrayal overwrought, arguing that the performance draws attention to itself at moments when the material calls for stillness. Ian McKellen and the supporting cast have received less contested attention, with the central debate concentrated on the lead.

Aggregate scores from Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic had not yet been posted when the early reviews circulated, so the film's overall critical standing remains unsettled. Its commercial and awards prospects are also unclear at this stage, with no box-office projections or awards-season positioning yet established. What is clear from the first wave of reviews is that «Ebenezer» has divided critics. Its atmosphere and production design earn frequent praise, while its central performance and creative choices provoke sharp disagreement about whether a faithful adaptation is enough to justify another telling of the story.

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Caroline Mercer

World News Correspondent

Caroline Mercer covers public affairs, politics, business, culture and daily news for Core Memo. The role focuses on verification, context, and clear explanations for readers.

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