The mystical world of tarot cards quietly takes center stage in the supernatural horror movie Tarot (2024), a movie that seems to have quietly flown under the radar for many.
Stylistically speaking, if you were to draw a few comparisons, the movie definitely channels some Drag Me to Hell vibes. The 2009 horror flick stars Alison Lohman. There's also a bit of Final Destination influence thrown in, especially with that whole 'once death has its sights on you, there’s no escaping it' kind of inevitability, which is pretty much how the movie goes, and of course, the terrible decisions its main characters make that propel them into dangerous situations.
The danger begins when a group of friends heads to a secluded rental in the Catskill Mountains to celebrate their friend Elise’s birthday. The trip is intended to be a peaceful retreat, where they can unwind, disconnect, and simply enjoy each other’s company. We’re basically dealing with seven main characters here. Aside from Elise (Larsen Thompson), they also include Paxton (Jacob Batalon) and Haley (Harriet Slater), to name a few, but as you might expect, some of them are really just there to make up the numbers. You know the type: cannon fodder for the inevitable slice-and-dice treatment before getting tossed out back.
Thrown into the mix, we also get Olwen Fouéré in a supporting role as Alma. She’s the gang’s last-ditch hope after their ill-fated tarot reading unleashes a deck full of demonic disasters that has targeted them for death. She’s that classic expert old-timer we all love, the one who shows up and says, “I’ve seen some things, kids, and trust me, you’re in deep, deep trouble.” It’s a bit of a shame, really, as she’s not given nearly enough screen time. You can’t help but wish she had been introduced earlier and given a more central role, because her presence definitely makes an impact in a movie that already manages to impress on multiple levels.
All of this comes about after the group seals their fate by seriously overstepping some boundaries as guests, rummaging through the house they’re staying at in search of beer or anything else to keep the birthday celebrations alive and going. That’s when they stumble upon an old, dusty box of tarot cards hidden away behind a basement door clearly marked “Keep Out,” which, of course, they completely ignore.
Moving into some of the action, the movie serves up car trouble on a fog-choked bridge, one that looks like it was ripped straight out of a slasher’s fever dream, practically screaming “turn back now.” It’s just one of the creepy, atmospheric locations that work, where the cursed deck’s wrath finally catches up with the crew and flips the situation into a life-or-death situation.
From The Hanged Man to The Fool, a contortionist clown-jester whose jagged movements might feel a little cliché, but still manage to pull us in, each card drawn by the group ties directly to a specific supernatural entity or scenario that brings the card’s deeper, sinister meaning to life. It’s a one card, one victim kind of deal.
Instead of being hunted by one relentless killer like 'Jason' or 'Michael Myers', the threat comes in the form of a tarot-themed specters, each bringing their own signature style. It’s like a demonic PowerPoint presentation, where every slide unveils a new and twisted way to die. Each death becomes a warped reflection of the tarot card’s meaning, abstract concepts turned into something very real and deadly.
The movie weaves a clever web of cursed cards, and a deck that’s definitely stacked against our characters in Tarot, which translates into a ride that delivers a fun and entertaining slice of horror, one that plays with fate, fear, and the choices you can’t take back. Like opening Pandora's Box, once unleashed, there’s no turning back, and it’s definitely worth a watch.