Updated

Updated · NBC Chicago · Nov 12

Roeper Gives 3 Stars to "Ebenezer," "How to Rob a Bank" and Netflix's 8-Part "The Body"

Updated

Updated · NBC Chicago · Nov 12

Roeper Gives 3 Stars to "Ebenezer," "How to Rob a Bank" and Netflix's 8-Part "The Body"

Q: What held Ti West back from pushing the terrifying boundaries even further in his gothic reimagining of A Christmas Carol?

Ti West appears to have been held back mainly by the film’s built-in restraint: it is a PG-13 studio adaptation of one of the most familiar and redemptive holiday stories in popular culture. Roeper’s review says “Ebenezer” is already one of the more chilling and disturbing versions of *A Christmas Carol*, but he also notes that some horror fans may have wanted West to go further. The added reporting points to why he did not. Multiple critics describe the film as “playing things too safe” and stopping short of becoming a full-on horror movie, largely because it remains faithful to Dickens’ redemption arc and Christmas message. The rating and commercial positioning mattered too. “Ebenezer” was released by Paramount as a mainstream PG-13 title, not an R-rated genre film in the mold of West’s more uncompromising horror work such as *X* or *Pearl*. One review explicitly notes that there is “only so far you can go while remaining faithful” to such an enduring holiday classic, while another says the film is “too dark for most kids and not frightening enough for adults,” reflecting that middle ground. In short, West seems to have been constrained by a combination of studio-friendly PG-13 limits, fidelity to Dickens’ sentimental structure, and the need to make a broadly marketable Christmas release rather than a truly boundary-pushing horror film.

3 articles · Updated · NBC Chicago · Nov 12

Richard Roeper rated all three new releases 3.0 stars, highlighting a post-Halloween mix of a dark Dickens adaptation, a kinetic heist movie and a twisty 2004-set Netflix series.
"Ebenezer" earns praise as a chilling PG-13 take on "A Christmas Carol," with Ti West leaning on horror instincts and Johnny Depp's Scrooge anchored by strong supporting turns from Ian McKellen and others.
"How to Rob a Bank" starts shakily for Roeper but wins him over with sharper character motives, well-staged heists and the chemistry between John C. Reilly's FBI agent and Zoë Kravitz's hacker.
"The Body" unfolds across 8 episodes at a fictional Catholic high school, where a Halloween initiation leaves a girl near death and sparks rumors of drugs, miracles and demonic forces.
Roeper says the trio reflects Hollywood's seasonal reset after Halloween, shifting from outright scares to darker holiday fare, crime entertainment and teen psychological drama.