Another Scrooge film? I have to admit, my first thought was a heavy sigh. Our children have studied A Christmas Carol to death for their GCSEs, and we’ve sat through the Muppets, the black-and-white classics, and every other adaptation in between. What more could they possibly do with those three ghosts?
Then came Ebenezer.
Monday night’s multimedia screening at Cineworld IMAX Leicester Square was quite an experience, made even more entertaining by the fact that while Johnny Depp, Rupert Grint, Ellie Bamber, and the rest of the cast were walking the glitzy global red carpet at the Odeon Luxe next door, we writers and reviewers were across the way at the IMAX. No influencer photo ops for us, just proper film watching, notebooks, and pens in hand! They could have popped over to say hello, of course, but we were perfectly happy to let the film do the talking. And talk it did.
I overheard someone in the audience mutter, “Here’s another cash cow movie about the Christmas Carol… what was wrong with the previous ones we already had?” I have to completely disagree. My 20-year-old son Diego had to read the book for his GCSEs and was forced to sit through the old black-and-white versions and the newer remakes. He loathed them. This movie, however, actually gives justice to Dickens’ original Victorian novella. It’s a dark, gory, and unapologetically Gothic reimagining that keeps the story fresh for a whole new generation.
At times, it feels closer to a horror film than a festive classic. The Victorian London setting is incredibly realistic; on that enormous IMAX screen, I almost felt I could reach out and touch the streets, the grime, and the poverty. The cinematography is stunning, and the attention to even the most minuscule details makes you feel fully immersed in the bleakness of Victorian London.
The production didn’t just rely on modern London, either. They used incredible historic sites to recreate the period authentically. Langleybury House in Hertfordshire, an 18th-century Regency mansion, was used for much of the filming, including the chilling moment when Andrea Riseborough’s Ghost of Christmas Past first appears. Week Street in Maidstone, Kent, was transformed into a snowy Victorian London street, ironically, not far from where Dickens himself once lived in Rochester.
The Historic Dockyard in Chatham, Kent, an 80-acre former Royal Navy dockyard, served as a major backdrop for the snowy, industrial streets. There is a lovely bit of trivia here: Dickens’ own father worked as a clerk at the Chatham Dockyard from 1817 to 1822, and the author spent a happy childhood nearby, which heavily influenced the marshy landscapes and industrial backdrops of his later novels. The production also filmed in Dublin, regularly chosen for Victorian-era dramas thanks to its beautifully preserved architecture.
As for the ghosts? Genuinely frightening. Some of those images stayed with me long after I left the cinema, even us mums might need to sleep with the light on after this one.
But the biggest talking point is Johnny Depp. What a master of transformation. He completely inhabits Scrooge, making him frightening, eccentric, and utterly compelling. At first, you are terrified of him, then you absolutely detest him, but as he is forced to confront his past, present, and future, you find yourself experiencing his inner transportation right alongside him. Depp brings a brilliant mix of menace, eccentricity, supernatural horror imagery, and humour to the role. It’s a stroke of genius.
This is, after all, the man who has spent decades disappearing into the most unlikely characters. Who can forget the pale, gentle sadness of Edward Scissorhands, a performance that was as much about the eyes as it was about Stan Winston’s extraordinary prosthetics? Then there was Captain Jack Sparrow, a character Depp famously built from the ground up, drawing inspiration from Keith Richards, with the braided beard, the kohl-lined eyes, and that unforgettable, slurred drawl. He earned an Oscar nomination for that one. And who could overlook the gothic tragedy of Sweeney Todd, with the deathly pale skin and the shock of white hair, a performance he once described as making “Sid Vicious look like an innocent paper boy.”
He has given us the whimsical eccentricity of Willy Wonka, the Mad Hatter with his six-coloured eyes and mercury-poisoning backstory, and the nearly unrecognisable transformation into Tonto, inspired by a painting called I am Crow. He has always been a chameleon, and for Ebenezer, the transformation is no less remarkable. Reports from behind the scenes reveal that Depp was deeply involved in the creation of Scrooge’s look, suggesting specific details like moles and wanting his chin to be a little longer, anything to add to the character. He saw Scrooge as someone restrained and uncomfortable in the world, and he wanted the costume to reflect that.
Director Ti West has spoken about how Depp makes Scrooge an “unlikable guy” but imbues him with “a certain sense of humour and charm,” a balance that only an actor of his calibre could strike. It’s a stroke of genius. I am genuinely shocked he hasn’t received an Oscar yet in his lifetime.
It is also lovely to see him back doing what he does best. I interviewed Johnny back in 2016, during a particularly difficult chapter in his life. Seeing him now, seemingly reborn and entering a new era of his career, made me wish I could have another chat with him today. At the UK premiere, he told the press: “The welcome that I’ve received, there’s no explanation. These are the people who have supported me through thick and thin. And I owe them. They’re my bosses.” Watching him disappear into this character, it is clear he is giving everything back to the audience.
There’s a lovely bit of cinematic poetry here, too. It was exactly 42 years ago to the day (9th November, 1984) that A Nightmare on Elm Street hit US cinemas, Depp’s very first film, back when he was trying to be a musician and selling pens over the phone to pay the bills until Nicolas Cage introduced him to his agent. Now, under the direction of horror maven Ti West, he’s back in the supernatural thriller space, and it feels like a full-circle moment.
He is supported by an incredible ensemble, including Sir Ian McKellen as Jacob Marley, Rupert Grint as Bob Cratchit, Andrea Riseborough as the Ghost of Christmas Past, Tramell Tillman as the Ghost of Christmas Present, Daisy Ridley, and Sam Claflin, all of whom help bring this gritty world to life.
A word of warning, though: this is rated PG-13 for frightening material, and I totally agree with that. It is definitely not a cosy Christmas film for young children, who could easily be traumatised by some of the visceral ghost sequences. Diego, however, would absolutely love this one. It’s exactly the kind of film that will reintroduce this famous story to teenagers and show them what living in Victorian times actually meant.
I usually avoid horror, but I honestly struggle to find fault with this. I’d give it a solid 10/10. Ebenezer opens in UK cinemas on 13 November. If you think you know Scrooge, think again. Bah, humbug? Not this time.
Monica Costa founded London Mums in September 2006 after her son Diego’s birth together with a group of mothers who felt the need of meeting up regularly to share the challenges and joys of motherhood in metropolitan and multicultural London. London Mums is the FREE and independent peer support group for mums and mumpreneurs based in London https://www.londonmumsmagazine.com and you can connect on Twitter @londonmums
