Tarot, released in 2024, is a supernatural horror film directed by Spenser Cohen and Anna Halberg in their feature film entrances. The movie claims to be based off of the 1992 horror, thriller Horrorscope by Nicholas Adams where a vicious murderer targets students at a local high school based on their zodiac signs and features a cast including Harriet Slater, Adain Bradley, Avantika, Wolfgang Novogratz, Humberly González, Larsen Thompson, and Jacob Batalon. The story focuses on a group of college students who discover a cursed Tarot deck, leading to deadly consequences and a series of gruesome deaths.
Tarot follows a chilling and suspenseful story centered around a group of seven college friends who are drawn into a deadly curse. Haley, Grant, Paxton, Paige, Madeline, Lucas, and Elise rent a mansion in the Catskills to celebrate Elise’s birthday. Tensions are high due to Haley and Grant’s recent breakup, so they try to lighten the mood by using a mysterious Tarot deck found in the basement. Each friend receives a card tied to their fate: Elise gets The High Priestess, Lucas the Hermit, Madeline the Hanged Man, Paige the Magician, Paxton the Fool, Grant the Devil, and Haley the Death card.
The next day, back on campus, the predictions come true in terrifying ways. Elise is killed by a monstrous High Priestess and Lucas is chased by The Hermit and hit by a train. Realizing the Tarot cards are cursed, the group seeks help from Alma who is a Tarot expert. Alma explains that the cards belonged to a cursed astrologer who predicted a nobleman’s tragedy in 1798. After her prediction came true, the nobleman killed her daughter in revenge. The astrologer cursed the deck to kill anyone who used it before taking her own life. Alma warns them to destroy the deck.
They face more deaths on their way back to the mansion to try to burn the cards. Madeline is hanged by the Hanged Man and Paxton is attacked by The Fool but narrowly survives. At the mansion, Paige is hypnotized by The Magician and killed in a horrifying trick sawing a box in half with her. Haley and Grant fail to destroy the cards and ask Alma for help. However, Alma is killed by the Six of Swords.
Then Haley decides to outsmart the curse. She performs a Tarot reading for the astrologer’s spirit giving her the Death card. This act breaks the curse and destroys the cards. Haley settles with Grant and the surviving friends reunite, finally free from the nightmare.
The story escalates into a fight for survival as the remaining friends try to uncover the origin of the cursed Tarot deck. They delve into the mansion’s history, uncovering dark secrets tied to the cards. The climax builds around the desperate attempts to destroy the deck and save those who are still alive.
The film ends with a haunting and unclear resolution leaving the audience questioning whether the curse has truly been lifted or the deck’s sinister influence will claim more lives in the future. Tarot intertwines themes of fate, fantasy and the psychological toll of fear delivering a chilling tale of supernatural horror.
The film uses traditional horror visuals like dim lighting and sudden scares to build tension. While these techniques create a spooky atmosphere critics feel they are too predictable and lack creativity. The characters are not deeply developed making it hard for viewers to care about their fates. The dialogue is simple which reduces emotional connection to the story. The pace of this movie is predictable with few surprises. Cohen and Halberg direct the film well enough but it doesn’t bring anything new to the horror genre.
Tarot has mostly negative reviews. Critics describe it as a “lifeless horror movie” with little focus on story or characters. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film is described as “a personality-less horror that doesn’t overly concern itself with either character or plot.” Many feel it leans too much on clichés and fails to deliver genuine scares. Despite poor reviews, the film was a commercial hit. Made on an $8 million budget, it earned $49.3 million globally. Its opening weekend in the U.S. and Canada brought in $6.5 million placing it fourth at the box office.
Tarot tries to mix supernatural horror with the mystery of Tarot cards but struggles to tell an engaging story. Although it creates a creepy mood, it relies too much on old horror tricks. While critics were disappointed, the film’s box office success shows it still entertained fans looking for a classic scary movie.
By: Janith Dinuka
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References:
Tarot (2024) 4.8 | Horror. (2024, May 3). IMDb.
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt14088510/?ref_=tturv_ov
Tarot (2024) | Rotten Tomatoes. (n.d.). Rotten Tomatoes. https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/tarot_2024
Wikipedia contributors. (2025, January 10). Tarot (2024 American film). Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tarot_(2024_American_film)