Rating of Each Version of a Christmas Carol (and Where to Stream Them)
A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens is the greatest Christmas story ever written, even better than the story of Mary, Joseph and the manger. The 1843 story of a miser terrorized by smug ghosts is (probably) the most filmed story of all time. Since Scrooge, dozens of cinematic adaptations of A Christmas Carol have been released in theaters and on television ; or “Marley’s Ghost” was published in 1901. Hundreds or thousands if you count re-imaginings and very special sitcom episodes. But which version is the best?
I’ve taken a careful look at every major theatrical and television adaptation of A Christmas Carol and rated each on its holiday cheer, Dickensian whimsy, and Scroogeanness to arrive at a definitive, undisputed list of the best and worst Christmas movies. Carols.
To appreciate A Christmas Carols , you need to decide what A Christmas Carols is to you. My inclusion criteria: the film must be full-length (at least an hour long); it should be released widely, either in theaters, on network television, or through a larger streaming service, and it should be close enough to a straight adaptation—modernizations, reimaginings, sequels, and that episode of Six Million. Dollar Man doesn’t count (sorry, Scrooge fans.) Using these criteria, I’ve narrowed down the Scrooges to the 16 you see below, in order from best to worst, and also listed where you can stream each one.
A Christmas Carol (1984)
It’s hard to name one film adaptation of A Christmas Carol as the absolute best of all time, but the 1984 TV version starring George C. Scott is flawless. Other versions do some things better, but this one does everything right – no errors. It remains close to the original text; it is made perfectly; and it has a consistency of tone and vision that makes it the most balanced of all the versions of the story. A Christmas Carol may not have the best Scrooge of all time, but George C. Scott’s performance is a solid nine out of ten, and this version features the most adorable and pitiful Tiny Tim ever and the best Ghost of Christmas Present, played by Edward Woodward, who plays police officer in The Wicker Man.
Where to watch : Starz, Roku, Tubi, Plex.
Scrooge (1935)
Filmed during the height of the Great Depression, the first sound version of A Christmas Carol delves deeper into the despair and horror of the story than any other adaptation. It’s a dark German Expressionist Christmas movie, and Seymour Hicks’ morbid, disturbing portrayal of Ebenezer Scrooge fits its tone perfectly. Instead of enjoying his own decrepitude, Hicks plays Scrooge like Satan in The Divine Comedy – he is not the ruler of hell; he is its most tormented prisoner. Scrooge’s stinginess is played out as a pathology. He wears dirty, torn clothes and trembles terribly when he eats porridge, because he cannot bring himself to burn a single scrap of coal. Even when he turns, it seems like a manic episode rather than in the Christmas spirit, suggesting that this is actually the story of an old man who has gone mad.
Unfortunately, the Prime Video version is in color, so watch it on YouTube in black and white, just as God intended.
Where to watch : Prime Video, YouTube.
Scrooge (1970)
This big-budget musical of the Christmas classic turns Dickens into 11. Scrooge is a huge, raucous, crowd-pleasing musical with hundreds of extras, elaborate sets and a stunning central performance from Albert Finney that holds it all together. But Finney and company also manage to keep the emotional core of the story intact. The music is great, with catchy tunes like “I Hate People,” a song that Finny growls rather than sings. Scrooge also has the best ghosts of any version of A Christmas Carol – you can’t beat the cheesy cool of the expensive 1970s special effects.
Where to watch : Paramount, Hoopla, Fandor, Plex.
A Christmas Carol (1999)
Before Hallmark devoted its corporate life to unforgettable holiday-themed romantic comedies, it co-produced one of the best versions of A Christmas Carol I’ve ever produced. This entire film belongs to Patrick Stewart, whose detailed and layered portrayal of Scrooge is the best thing ever done. His “conversion” scene is so visceral and honest that it brought tears to my eyes, even though I’ve seen the exact scene featured in at least 40 other films, plays and sitcom episodes from the 1980s. Unfortunately, tight cable budgets in the 1990s meant that some visually stunning sets and ridiculous special effects marred the otherwise top-notch production.
Where to watch: digital rental only
A Muppet Christmas Carol (1992)
I’m randomly putting “The Muppet Christmas Carol” here on the list because it can’t be reasonably compared to other versions of the story. The Muppet version is a thing in itself, like no other. From start to finish , A Muppet Christmas Carol is simply delightful for kids, adults, cats, dogs, space aliens and everything else you have. It’s not even worth comparing Michael Caine’s earnest portrayal of Ebenezer Scrooge to the supporting puppets, but somehow it all feels natural.
Where to stream: Disney+.
Scrooge (1951)
In this film, Alastair Sim takes Ebenezer Scrooge on a real journey. In the first act he plays Scrooge as the personification of capitalism, an indifferent, amoral monument to pure acquisition. He’s like Scrooge scaring away ghosts, but when Marley appears, lugging his signature chains, Sim is instantly overcome with wide-eyed fear, as if the only chink in his armor is the supernatural. Scrooge then turns into a childish, shy figure as the ghosts lead him to various visions, and finally, after his symbolic death, he emerges from his symbolic death as a Christmas-obsessed guy who lives to serve others. This film may be one of the best in its genre, but an unnecessary subplot about Scrooge’s business bogs the film down for part of the second act.
Where to stream : Plex
Mister Magoo’s Christmas Carol (1962)
Mr. Magoo’s Christmas Carol was the first animated version of A Christmas Carol and the first animated holiday special ever shown on American television. The main character, Mr. Magoo, was the star of a popular limited animation cartoon in the early 1960s that consisted of one joke about an old man who couldn’t see well, so it’s surprising how carefully crafted and effective this version of “A” is . A Christmas Carol . The songs are weird, catchy and funny (listen to “Razzleberry Dressing” above once and you’ll never forget it), and the emotional core of the story is surprisingly strong. Jim Backus, who voices Magoo/Scrooge, is great.
Where to stream : Peacock, IndieFlix.
A Christmas Carol (1971)
I’m breaking my rule of not including an abridged version of the story because this animated Carol is absolutely gorgeous. Its evocative, graceful, hand-drawn look comes from animation legend Richard Williams and was inspired by the woodcuts from the original version of A Christmas Carol . This is a cartoon, but not for children, so the darkness of the ghosts is not hushed up. Additionally, Scrooge is voiced by Alastair Sim, reprising his role from 1951’s Scrooge .
Where to stream : YouTube
A Christmas Carol (1938)
There’s nothing wrong with this brightly lit, digital take on A Christmas Carol, but it seems to be aimed at as wide an audience as possible, so the rough edges of the story have been smoothed out . Ghosts aren’t that scary. Scrooge isn’t that stingy, etc. It’s fine for a Christmas movie to be light-hearted entertainment, but the lowered stakes end up dulling the emotional resonance of the climax, resulting in a mediocre Christmas carol .
Where to stream : Max
An American Christmas Carol (1979)
I included this version of A Christmas Carol because it’s Lifehacker editor Megan Walbert’s favorite version. Sorry, Megan, but this flimsy 1970s TV adaptation hasn’t aged very well. Henry Winkler does a good job as Scrooge, and it’s great to see Burgess Meredith and other old stars, but overall this is a sentimental, tedious film that unwisely replaces much of Dickens’s best work with the work of 1970s television writers.
Where to watch : Peacock, Tubi, Kanopy, Crackle, FreeVee, Plex, PlutoTV.
A Disney Christmas Carol (2009)
I really wanted to like Disney’s A Christmas Carol. Robert Zemeckis is a great director and Jim Carrey is a force of nature, but I couldn’t handle it. This version of the story could be recommended to many, but using 2009 technology to create realistic looking characters was such a puzzling choice. The entire movie looks like a cutscene from a PS3 game, and I kept wanting to press “A” to get to the gameplay.
Where to watch: Disney, Fubo, TNT, IndieFlix, Plex.
A Christmas Carol (2012)
It’s not like the producers of this obscure 2012 streaming movie didn’t have a lot of money to work with, and that’s too bad. If they had done that, they might have been able to better execute some of the intriguing ideas at the heart of this film. This is an outright horror film, but it’s not scary. Unfortunately, you can’t carry a feature film with good intentions. Overall, it’s hit and miss.
Where to watch : Prime Video.
A Christmas Carol (1997)
The animation in the 1997 animated musical version of A Christmas Carol is dated, mediocre, and ugly. The songs are unforgettable, and for some reason Scrooge has a pet bulldog. (The only good joke is that he named his dog “Debet.”) It’s just not good, and it’s a shame because the cast is chock full of talent, including Tim Curry as Scrooge, Ed Asner and Whoopi Goldberg.
Where to stream : YouTube.
A Christmas Carol (2019)
This BBC drama is a philosophical, moody version of Scrooge , but it just doesn’t fit together. It is dark, gloomy and so heavy that it collapses under its own weight.
Aiming to introduce aspects of “A Christmas Carol” that had not been seen before (such as “How Marley Got His Chains”), “A Christmas Carol” rewrites the original text from scratch, but instead it reads like Dickens’ first draft. improvements. The weighty themes of this “Christmas Carol ” are expressed subtly and artistically, surrounded by well-drawn characters and entertaining, exciting situations. There’s not much of that here, as this film takes a hit-you-over-the-head approach.
Where to watch: Prime Video, Tubi, Plex, FreeVee.
Scrooge: A Christmas Carol (2022)
The current state of Dickens adaptations is not very good. Netflix’s low-key, sentimental CGI version of A Christmas Carol tries to fill the story with slapstick, songs and jokes, but it’s all cynical, lowest-common-denominator crap. The dialogue was goofy and humorous. Scrooge has a stupid dog for comic relief. They added fart jokes. Think about it: The minds behind Scrooge: A Christmas Carol read Dickens and concluded, “This story would be better with a stupid dog and fart jokes.”
Where to watch: Netflix
A Christmas Carol: The Musical (2004)
A Christmas Carol is such a solid story that even a school production of it can be fun to watch. But the cynical production of this film is even more terrible given the meaning of the story. This terrible ego project is a Christmas carol because it feels like a money grab. Kelsey Grammar sucks as Scrooge, fighting his way through the lightweight performance. Jason Alexander sucks as Marley. Jennifer Love Hewitt is actually quite good as Scrooge’s romantic interest, infatuated with Christmas Past. However, Hewitt is a rare bright spot in this dull film. Everything else is average to terrible. It is filmed and lit like a TV show; the sets are bland and the songs are forgettable. Overall, it’s the cynical “let’s get over this crap” conveyor belt feel of television production.