A Christmas Carol (2019)

This adaptation made Scrooge less a stingy, lonely old man and more of a damaged and cruel one. The mood was effective: it put both Gary and me in mind of the Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell miniseries, but without the light and sense of hope.

Even in the denouement, when Scrooge has recognized the error of his ways, it was uncomfortable. Which, sure, this might be more true-to-life -- I mean, would a family who'd been so personally affected by this man's cruelty welcome him with joy into their lives? Probably not. But being honest doesn't always make for great entertainment.

C+