Love him or loathe him, Johnny Depp is back. Paramount held a number of press screenings for the scandal-plagued A-lister’s big Hollywood comeback feature, Ebenezer, over the last few days and the first reactions are hitting social media.
Ebenezer held its world premiere at the Whitby Hotel in New York City on Nov. 1. The film had its London premiere in Leicester Square on Monday night. Full critics reviews for the film drop on Nov. 12, but Paramount allowed people who had attended the various screenings to post brief reactions to the film on social media. Ebenezer hits theaters globally on Nov. 13.
The latest adaptation of Charles Dickens’ classic 1843 novella A Christmas Carol, Ebenezer is a more black comedy take on the trials and tribulations of one Ebenezer Scrooge. Set in Victorian London, the film follows Scrooge (Depp), a miserly businessman who has a particular hatred for Christmas. Scrooge goes on a redemption journey after being visited by three spirits.
The film has a stellar cast featuring the likes of Tramell Tillman, Ian McKellen, Rupert Grint, Andrea Riseborough, Sam Claflin, Daisy Ridley, Arthur Conti, Ellie Bamber and Henry Lloyd-Hughes.
Ebenezer is directed by Ti West, the filmmaker behind A24’s highly regarded X trilogy as well as The Roost (2005), Trigger Man (2007), The House of the Devil (2009), The Innkeepers (2011) and In a Valley of Violence (2016). Nathaniel Halpern wrote the screenplay.
There is a lot riding on Ebenezer for Depp. The film is the Oscar-nominated actor’s first mainstream Hollywood feature since the fallout from his divorce from Amber Heard and subsequent legal battles. Once one of the entertainment industry’s most bankable stars, Depp has barely worked since 2020, starring in the 2023 French film Jeanne du Barry, and directing and producing (but not starring) in the Italy-produced biopic Modì, Three Days on the Wing of Madness in 2024.
After Ebenezer, Depp is set to star in Lionsgate’s supernatural thriller Day Drinker in 2027.
See the social media reactions to Ebenezer below.
#Ebenezer may not reinvent A Christmas Carol, but it’s a faithful, atmospheric, and beautifully shot adaptation anchored by a phenomenal lead performance. Johnny Depp is the perfect Scroorge, up there with Alaistair Sim and Michael Caine. Ti West leans into his horror roots with… pic.twitter.com/KqH8K2Px4i
#Ebenezer is a strangely fitting role to mark Johnny Depp’s return to major movies. In the third act, Scrooge pleads to the ghosts (as Depp pleads to the audience) to accept that he has changed and is worthy of redemption. Scrooge’s climactic celebration as he wakes up on… pic.twitter.com/evfDpYMH1L
Well, color me pleasantly surprised! #Ebenezer is a wickedly fun holiday treat and strong comeback vehicle for its star. Depp is a fiendish delight as Scrooge, delivering a lively performance that thankfully balances the goofy charm and emotional gravitas that has been sorely… pic.twitter.com/PpbdySFMmj
#Ebenezer is a dark, magical, and deeply moving retelling that hits every emotion. Johnny Depp is outstanding as Ebenezer Scrooge ! Deliciously unpleasant, heartbreaking, and completely captivating.
No matter how many times you’ve seen this story, Ti West adds surprising new… pic.twitter.com/CTpnzsDA5E
#Ebenezer is a pleasant surprise. Ti West brings a lovely gothic visual style which helps freshen an otherwise standard take. And of course Depp is great, standing with George C. Scott as the best of the modern Scrooges. pic.twitter.com/F3klBLEVwi
EBENEZER is a much more gothic take on A Christmas Carol than you are expecting and it’s a great case study as to why Ti West should handle bigger blockbuster stories. It Oozes style and performances are solid throughout. That being said it’s incredibly well worn territory and it… pic.twitter.com/4xVdCSfByY
I'm a sucker for A Christmas Carol & #Ebenezer hits all the beats right, but nothing's distinct or unique about this version.
Fantastic set design, production & sound sesign, but it's just Depp doing cooky Scrooge, nothing more than his old tricks…
Claflin & Grint innocent pic.twitter.com/3dYHypcGed
There are no superlatives to describe how truly #Ebenezer awful is. Excluding the production design and score. Every single element is chaotic, mismatched and horrifically ill judged. Ti West? I love you. But this was a complete and utter bust. Shameful. Avoid it like the plague pic.twitter.com/zEShPOJ30h
Our man JimmyO saw #Ebenezer. His thoughts: I was not terribly excited about the prospect of another Christmas Carol. Thankfully, Ti West’s Ebenezer presents a darker look at this Christmas fable. Yet it brings more sincerity than many of the earlier efforts.
Johnny Depp gives a…
EBENEZER is a revitalized edition of the classic Victorian fable of redemption, centered around a fun, quirky, and energetic Johnny Depp performance. Ti West captures the gothic horror vibes to combine them with some intriguing and haunting visuals and solid supporting cast pic.twitter.com/kf3SsZO1im
Johnny Depp is at the top of his game as #Ebenezer. A spookier, more horror-centric take, Ti West approaches Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol with the gothic flourishes of a classic Hammer film. A fresh retelling of the classic story worth seeing. pic.twitter.com/pkWsICTkSt
Ti West’s #Ebenezer puts a bold spin on Dickens’ classic, delivering a sincere period piece infused with heart and despair.
Johnny Depp is magnetic throughout Scrooge’s soft redemption arc leading to a finale that delivers more emotional resonance than its predecessors. Humbug! pic.twitter.com/lErClm8L2T
Did the world need another version of A Christmas Carol? Maybe not, but surprisingly, I must say #Ebenezer is a hauntingly gotchic adaptation, unfortunately relevant, and likely the most faithful (and creepiest) version of the Charles Dickens classic we’ll ever get. pic.twitter.com/lHgp8mqrCk
