‘Tarot’ (2024) Movie Review - A Typical Predictable Horror Plot

The moment the first scene of a bonfire rolled, I knew this wasn’t the typical scary horror movie. And I wasn’t proved wrong.  Eight friends rent a mansion in a remote location to celebrate their friend Elsie’s birthday. After realizing that they had run out of beer, the friends, knowing that the mansion was a remote place, decided to look for “booze” in the mansion itself.  While conducting their search operation, one of the friends, Lucas, comes across a door that clearly has a warning sign that says not to open it. But hey, this is a horror movie and these are a bunch of kids who have “fire in their belly” and an undying urge to explore. Because what can go wrong in an old mansion? So they open the door and it leads them to the basement where they find things related to astrology.

Paxton stumbles upon an old box and when he opens it he realizes that it is an old deck of tarot cards. And of course, their super-talented group has a self-taught tarot card reader aka Haley. They also correct us that it's pronounced as “taa-row”. So what’s next? The group tells Haley to do their reading. What is special about these cards is that they are mixed with astrology, which as Haley educates us, is risky. Till now, there’s no issue. But as soon as Haley gets the setup to do the reading, the atmosphere becomes eerie. She even tells her friends that it is an unspoken rule not to read someone else’s deck. But it's Elsie’s birthday and why would she listen to Haley? And so Haley starts the process. Each friend one by one comes to Haley and gets their card read.  The predictions aren’t good. The party’s over and it's time to head home the next day. And that’s when things get bad. The Major Arcana card is now in its form and starts killing the friends one by one until only Haley, Paige, and Grant are left. Even Paxton is left because he is the amusement in the movie and killing him would break our hearts. So the trio calls Alma Astrom to help them out. But will she be able to help them? Will the curse be broken?

"Tarot" is a film that relies heavily on predictable plot lines, offering little in terms of surprises. While it delivers some chilling and effective jump scares with its gruesome deaths, the movie ultimately lacks originality and fails to present anything new or innovative. Its reliance on obvious predictions makes the overall experience feel formulaic and uninspired.

The performances by the actors are generally unconvincing, with many scenes coming across as forced and unnatural. Rather than bringing depth and authenticity to their roles, the actors often seem to be struggling to embody their characters, resulting in a lack of emotional engagement. This disconnect between the actors and their roles further detracts from the overall impact of the film, leaving the audience less invested in the story and its outcomes.

The standout aspect of the film is its background, which effectively maintains an unsettling atmosphere throughout. The set design and cinematography work together to create a pervasive sense of unease, making it feel as though an unseen presence is constantly observed. This haunting backdrop contributes significantly to the film’s eerie mood, amplifying the tension and keeping the audience on edge. Even as other elements falter, the atmospheric setting succeeds in immersing viewers in a chilling and persistent feeling of surveillance and dread.

Final Score- [5/10]
Reviewed by - Neerja Choudhuri
Follow @NeerjaCH on Twitter
Publisher at Midgard Times