“Ebenezer” review: A Christmas Carol that’s equal parts spooky and spirited

Johnny Depp’s “Ebenezer” brings plenty of ghosts, a few genuine jump scares and some surprisingly cheerful moments to Charles Dickens’ classic Christmas story. It’s a wonderfully spooky way to transition from Halloween into the Christmas season.

A spooky but cheerful Christmas Carol

Directed by Ti West, “Ebenezer” takes the familiar story of Ebenezer Scrooge and gives it a distinctly Gothic Victorian atmosphere.

There are plenty of dark corridors, unsettling ghosts and supernatural encounters. But what surprised me was how well the movie balances those frightening moments with humor and Christmas cheer.

This is still the story of a bitter man who must confront his past, present and future, but the journey feels considerably more haunted than some of the adaptations audiences may remember. There is further exploration of Ebenezer Scrooge’s family and failed romantic relationship than I recall in other versions of the tale.

The film doesn’t shy away from the darker side of Dickens’ story. There are ghosts beyond the familiar three Christmas spirits, several jump scares and some disturbing imagery involving death and decay.

Nothing struck me as particularly gruesome, but this isn’t necessarily the version of “A Christmas Carol” I’d recommend to families with younger or easily frightened children.

What makes it work is that the darkness doesn’t overwhelm the heart of the story. There are plenty of opportunities to laugh, and the Christmas spirit still comes through.

In fact, I could see myself making this an annual tradition at the end of October or beginning of November. It’s an ideal bridge between Halloween and Christmas, with enough spookiness to satisfy anyone not quite ready to put away the ghosts.

Is Johnny Depp’s “Ebenezer” worth watching?

Absolutely. If you enjoy Gothic ghost stories, Victorian settings and the familiar message of “A Christmas Carol,” this adaptation is worth seeing in theaters.

Just don’t expect a gentle Christmas movie. There are more frightening moments than you might anticipate, even if you already know how Scrooge’s story unfolds.

Johnny Depp delivers a nuanced performance but there is no doubt he is Ebenezer, and not someone who has disappeared into the role. And that’s fine. After all, Johnny Depp is a character actor whose unique personality birth’s a new version of any well known character he portrays.

The rest of the cast performs just as strong, refusing to let Depp outshine their own talents without distracting from the man most audience members paid good money to see.

For me, the combination of scares, humor and holiday cheer makes this one of those Christmas movies I’d happily revisit.

Spoilers: The scariest moments in “Ebenezer”

Spoiler warning: The following section discusses specific scenes and surprises from the movie.

Jacob Marley’s door knocker

One of the most familiar moments in “A Christmas Carol” occurs when Scrooge sees the face of his deceased business partner, Jacob Marley, appear on his door knocker.

Previous adaptations have used that transformation as a frightening surprise, so I was expecting something similar here.

There is indeed a jump scare during this sequence, but surprisingly, it isn’t the door knocker itself that provides the scare. It’s a clever way of playing with the expectations of audiences who already know the story.

The schoolhouse scene

Another unexpected jump scare comes during Scrooge’s journey with the Ghost of Christmas Past. The schoolhouse sequence starts off with a jump scare and it caught me off guard. Even knowing that this adaptation was going to be darker, I wasn’t expecting a scare at that particular moment.

Even the Ghost of Christmas Present gets scary

The Ghost of Christmas Present is traditionally one of the most cheerful figures in the story, often portrayed as a jovial, larger-than-life embodiment of generosity and celebration.

That’s part of what made this version so interesting.

Although the spirit has cheerful moments, things become considerably more frightening toward the end of his appearance. It’s another example of how “Ebenezer” keeps audiences guessing, even when they know the story by heart.

“Ebenezer” is rated PG-13 for frightening material and runs 1 hour, 56 minutes. There is no mid-credits or post-credits scene, but the credits feature some nice visual touches and a sweet message at the very end.

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