Ebenezer
Ti West
*Ebenezer* has so many great pieces, starting with "X" trilogy director Ti West and actors like Ian McKellen, Tramell Tillman, and others. But altogether it somehow managed to drag down a classic tale into an easily forgettable experience.
Theaters · Gothic A Christmas Carol retelling · ~116 mins
I did not learn my lesson from the Christmas Carol. In fact, I don't think anyone learned anything with this one. Ti West and the gang had a great gothic aesthetic, a strong cast, and yet it all amounted to nothing for me.
Perhaps it was the slight twists on the tale, like the charity soliciting donations turning out to be evil for some reason, partially justifying Scrooge's humbuggery. Or maybe it was the odd dialogue from the ghost of Christmas past that plucked you out of the experience as you wondered why the dark comedy was neither dark, nor comedic, but just stupid.
This movie is in a strange limbo where it seems to be made for some kind of amalgamation of the idea of an audience that doesn't exist. You wouldn't watch it with your family. And you wouldn't want to watch it with an older group.
It's not the worst movie in the world. But it's probably the worst rendition of the classic-for-good-reason A Christmas Carol that I've ever seen. Save your time and watch Patty Stew's rendition (RIP), Mickey Mouse's, or better yet, The Muppet Christmas Carol.
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