Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol receives a dark, atmospheric retelling in Ebenezer, starring Johnny Depp as the miser whose encounter with the supernatural offers one final opportunity to change.

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Set in Dickens’ London, the story follows Ebenezer Scrooge, a man who has allowed his pursuit of wealth to shut out warmth, generosity and human connection. Christmas offers little appeal to someone so firmly closed off from the people around him. But an extraordinary Christmas Eve forces him to confront the life he has built, as ghostly visitors take him on a journey through his past, present and possible future.

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As those encounters unfold, Scrooge must reckon with the choices that have shaped him, the suffering he has overlooked and the consequences of continuing along the same path. What begins as an unsettling supernatural experience becomes a deeply personal confrontation with regret, responsibility and the possibility of redemption. His future depends on whether he can open himself to others before the opportunity slips away.

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I went into Ebenezer without remembering every detail of the original story, and enjoyed discovering it through this distinctive retelling. There is something refreshing about an adaptation that makes such a familiar Christmas tale feel unsettling again, while preserving the emotion at its heart.

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The darker elements are particularly effective. The ghosts are genuinely creepy, giving Scrooge’s journey a sense of danger and uncertainty. Yet the scariness feels carefully judged: it adds atmosphere without becoming excessive or overwhelming the story’s warmth.

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The production design was a highlight. The sets, costumes and makeup are fantastic, combining to create a richly realised period world. The old-fashioned language also helps establish the setting, drawing you further into the time and place rather than making the dialogue feel overly modern.

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Johnny Depp delivers a strong performance as Scrooge, almost disappearing beneath the character’s appearance. He is barely recognisable, and his performance anchors the supernatural spectacle in the personal journey of a man being challenged to reconsider his life.

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For all its darkness, Ebenezer is ultimately moving and uplifting. Its ending captures the enduring appeal of A Christmas Carol: the joy that generosity, kindness and shared celebration can bring into a life. 

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A beautifully crafted, atmospheric and genuinely creepy retelling of A Christmas Carol, anchored by a strong Johnny Depp performance and ultimately delivering a moving, uplifting story of redemption, generosity and the joy of Christmas.