The Naughty List of Mr. Scrooge might have sounded like a clever concept on paper-a horror twist on Charles Dickens' classic character-but the execution is an absolute disaster from start to finish. What could've been a darkly comedic, eerie spin on A Christmas Carol turns into a cheap, directionless mess that doesn't know if it wants to be scary, funny, or festive. Instead, it's none of the above.
The biggest problem lies right in the title character himself. Scrooge, who should've been an imposing, psychologically layered villain, is reduced to a complete joke. There's no menace, no charisma, no complexity-just a caricature in a wig that looks like it came straight from a Party City clearance bin. The costume department clearly had no budget, but that's no excuse for the visual disaster on screen. His look alone pulls you out of the film before he even says a word, and once he starts talking, the acting doesn't save it.
The direction feels completely uninspired, as if nobody behind the camera had a vision beyond "make a horror movie about Scrooge." The cinematography is flat, the lighting is inconsistent, and the editing is choppy enough to make scenes feel disconnected. The production team should've caught these glaring issues immediately-especially how cheap and unconvincing the main character looked. But instead, everything plays out like a first draft that somehow made it to release.
The screenplay doesn't help either. It's filled with incoherent dialogue, plot holes, and tonal confusion. It's never clear what kind of horror film this wants to be-slasher, supernatural, or psychological-and the story jumps around with no rhythm or logic. The few attempts at emotional beats or Christmas-themed horror fall completely flat. Every time it looks like the movie might find a bit of traction, it derails itself with laughable dialogue or overacted nonsense.
The cast tries, but it's hopeless. Their performances are exaggerated and cartoonish, as if they were told to play to a theater crowd instead of a camera. There's no chemistry between anyone, and scenes that should feel tense or eerie just come across as forced and awkward. It's hard to tell whether they were directed poorly or just trying to make sense of a broken script-but either way, it's painful to watch.
The Naughty List of Mr. Scrooge could've been a fun cult film-a twisted, campy horror take on a Christmas classic. Instead, it's a masterclass in what not to do when adapting a beloved story into a new genre. Between the atrocious costume design, the incoherent writing, and the misguided performances, this movie is a complete train wreck. Unless you're collecting the worst holiday horror movies ever made, skip this one entirely-it belongs on its own naughty list.
