It’s been a dark and terrible night so far for Ebeneezer Scrooge (Guy Pearce) and it’s not been too kind on this particular viewer either. The handsome and haunting production values haven’t quite managed to make up for the needlessly profane and relentlessly grim retelling of Dickens’ immortal classic. I mean, this is a level of darkness even Frank Cross in his heyday would have blanched at.

And…