Spirited

In this version of A Christmas Carol the story is told from the ghosts' side. The Ghost of Christmas Present is close to retirement and wants one last case: Clint Briggs, a media consultant. On paper Clint is unredeemable, which is exactly why the ghost takes him. The film's trick is that Clint starts putting the ghost himself in question. Sean Anders directed. Will Ferrell plays the Ghost of Christmas Present and Ryan Reynolds plays Clint, with Octavia Spencer, Sunita Mani and Patrick Page in the cast. Pasek and Paul wrote the songs. The budget was 75 million dollars. Shooting began on 6 July 2021 in Boston, which stands in for Manhattan. It played in limited release on 11 November 2022 and went up on Apple TV+ on 18 November. Rotten Tomatoes sits at 70 percent from 115 reviews. Critics praised the original songs and the chemistry between Ferrell and Reynolds, and some found the runtime long for a retelling this familiar. Who it is for: viewers who like big-budget Christmas musicals and two comedians dancing together. Who it is not for: anyone wanting a faithful Dickens adaptation. The film keeps mocking its source and refuses to take it seriously.