Here’s a little bit of trivia for you, dear reader. Of all the works of literature, which one is considered to be the one with the most adaptations? Well if you are reading this, it should be pretty obvious. It’s Charles Dickens’ 1843 novel A Christmas Carol. There is not an exact number of versions. That’s due to some lists counting TV episodes, short films, animations and loose adaptations, it’s generally accepted that there are well over 300 of them. The number continues to grow as well, with this year’s Ebenezer adding to the list.

Like most adaptations, Ebenezer tells the story of stingy old skinflint named Ebenezer Scrooge (Johnny Depp), who dislikes almost everything. Especially Christmas. He’s rude to everyone, including his loyal employee Bob Cratchit (Rupert Grint). One Christmas Eve he’s visited by his long dead partner Jacob Marley (Ian McKellen). Jacob warns him that he will be visited by three spirits in an attempt to save his immortal soul. The three spirits show Scrooge his past, present and future, and in the end he is given a choice to face a grim fate or change his miserly ways.

Ebenezer is being marketed as a reimaging of the classic story, and with Ti West directing it’s very clearly trying to be a horror story. The only problem is, A Christmas Carol is a ghost story in the first place. The story is meant to be scary. It’s what helps Scrooge reinvent himself. It’s as if someone forgot that fact, and someone else decided to run with the reimaging tag. Yes, there are some scenes that have upped the chill factor, but not enough to deserve that tag. FX did a far more scarier version in 2019. If you judge the film purely on it being just another telling of the popular novel however, it’s not bad.

Ebenezer looks great. You feel instantly transported to 1800’s England. The cinematography alone is worth the price of admission. Even the sound and music is extremely well done. When it comes to the acting, Johnny Depp is his usual self. At first his cartoonish overacting is a little annoying, but as the film moves along you don’t notice it as much. He’s surrounded by a great supporting cast as well, including Rupert Grint, Ian McKellen, Sam Claflin and Daisy Ridley. Don’t expect a lot of changes to the source material either. Other than a few additional scenes not in the novel, the film generally sticks to the beats you’d expect.

In the end, Ebenezer will more than likely suffer the same fate as most adaptations of A Christmas Carol and be forgotten. Everyone has their favourite after all, which is rather hard to beat. This one will have an audience, but more than likely a younger one who haven’t chosen a favourite previously. If you are looking for the best version however, pick up the book. It’s a quick read (only being somewhere between 80-200 pages, depending on the font size), and a holiday classic that will always bring a smile to your face.