Folkestone Screens Scrooged
A modern retelling of A Christmas Carol, starring Bill Murray, is coming to Folkestone Harbour Arm. With a mix of comedy, drama, and fantasy, Scrooged is a unique take on the classic tale.
Dir: Richard Donner
Cast: Bill Murray, Karen Allen, John Forsythe, John Glover, Bobcat Goldthwait, Robert Mitchum, David Johansen, Carol Kane
101 mins · 1988 · United States of America · Cert PG · English
IMDb 6.9/10 · Rotten Tomatoes 72% · Metacritic 38/100 · TMDB 6.8/10 · Trakt 72%
Awards: Nominated for 1 Oscar. 1 win & 5 nominations total
Scrooged has received a range of scores, including 6.9/10 on IMDb, 72% on Rotten Tomatoes, and 6.8/10 on TMDB. The film was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Makeup and won several other awards.
The film tells the story of Frank Cross, a cynical TV executive who is visited by three Christmas ghosts, forcing him to confront the consequences of his behaviour. Directed by Richard Donner and written by Mitch Glazer and Michael O'Donoghue, Scrooged features a strong cast, including Karen Allen, John Forsythe, and Robert Mitchum.
Scrooged is a fantasy comedy-drama film, with a runtime of 101 minutes and a PG certificate. The film's reception has been mixed, with some critics praising its dark humour and satire, while others found it too mean-spirited or sentimental.
The film will be screened at Folkestone Harbour Arm on Saturday, 5 December 2026. Tickets are on sale: say tickets are with the button beside the article. Viewers have praised Bill Murray's performance, with some calling it one of his best, while others have found the film's tone to be inconsistent. Despite this, Scrooged has become a regular television Christmastime feature, with many considering it a holiday classic.
Stills
What viewers say
AndrewBloom · 4/10
[3.8/10] I’ve often felt like X-mas movies get a little bump when it comes to public appreciation. Something about the holiday season makes us a little more likely to open ourselves up to sap, to give leeway to the silly or ridiculous, to accept blatant heartstring tugging, because it feels right for this time of year. It helps that we see most of these movies for the first time when we’re kids, letting the eggnog-soaked messages burrow into our…
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dino3721 · 10/10
This is one of my all time favorite movies. I see more and more jokes every time I want it. Carol Kane is a stand out. I can't get through this movie with a dry eye. I watch at least 3 times a year. It was a very creative spin on an old and otherwise worn out story. You can't go wrong with this movie. Bill Murray's best movie.
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DarkKn1ght · 6/10
A Christmas movie that shouldn't be on your top list. If you have a long list of Christmas movies to go through, I recommend that you take this to your bottom list as it is superseded by other high quality movies. I am going to quote what Roger Ebert said as it pinpoints the exact state of the movie: >quote “Scrooged” is one of the most disquieting, unsettling films to come along in quite some time. It was obviously intended as a comedy, but…
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Belenus · 5/10
A film that follows the formula of Charles Dickens' classic Christmas story, only adapted for the film's time period. It may be a positive point for those who appreciate fidelity, but personally, I expected a more satirical and innovative approach to the original story. Despite this, it still provides several laughs at different moments in the plot.
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r96sk · 6/10
Surprisingly, I didn't enjoy 'Scrooged' all that much. I never really clicked with this 1988 release whilst I was watching it. Bill Murray is fine, the Ghost of Christmas Past is good and the bits of the plot involving Alfre Woodard's character are decent. That's all I have for noteworthy positives, though. The vibe of the film felt off to me. I didn't connect with Murray's Frank at any point, whether it be the past, the present or the future…
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sophxo · 8/10
One of my favorite Christmas movies. To me the part with the Ghost of Christmas Present steals the movie. It's not very deep and there's moments that didn't age the best. I still love it though.
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fasterfilmcritic · 5/10
What a strange film Scrooged is. Tonally, it's a bit of a mess. The character arch of Francis Cross lacks consistency and emotional significance, which leaves the viewer unconvinced and unmoved. The direction could be stronger, the story could be tighter, and the comedy could be funnier.
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TKPNPodcast · 5/10
I remember really look forward to this movie, seeing it in the theater and really being disappointed. I just rewatched it ... and it is still a disappointment. The tone is off. Murray does the best he can, but the material is far from perfect and the direction is chaotic and not at all focused. I often wonder how good this could have been under the direction of a comedy director, not an action director. I think Harold Ramis or Ivan Reitman could…
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