Tarot

A group of twenty-somethings have rented a "literal" mansion (I wish writers would find out what that word means and use it properly!) and are having a few fireside beers outside it whilst subjecting us to their dull relationship issues. Needless to say the gang are a politically correct assemblage that tick just about every box and are frankly all pretty well deserving of what's to come. On that front, the clue's in the title. Exploring the house looking to top up their supply of booze, they find a locked room full of all things occult and that includes an unique set of tarot cards. Rather foolishly, but typically disparagingly, they demand that "Haley" (Harriet Slater) read their fortunes. Next thing they are dropping like flies - all in a manner they gradually realise is akin to the results of the tarot reading. As they gruesomely dwindle, they realise that they are going to need some help and so thanks to Google spook, they find a woman (Olwen Fouéré) who informs them of the bleak history of their toxic tarot and tells them that the cards' destruction might be their only road to salvation. Thing is, can they survive long enough to get back to the house? There's nothing at all original here, sorry. We've seen it loads of times before and the uninteresting dynamic between the characters is even more predictable than the denouement. To be fair, the candle-lit visual effects are quite effective at times, but the acting is pretty dreadful and the whole frat-like presentation left me looking at the clock after half an hour. It's a shame. The whole astrology and mythology surrounding the tarot could have offered us a rich vein to tap into and exploit, but here we simply get a rather lazy and formulaic light-horror enterprise that's really devoid of much imagination. Literally.

Tarot was a terrible horror movie from start to finish. It’s another low-budget studio horror film that relies heavily on formulaic tropes, stacking one cliché after another in a convoluted story that makes no sense. The plot is riddled with the usual horror clichés, making it predictable and uninspiring. For instance, the film features the classic haunted object, the mysterious stranger, and the inevitable jump scares. These elements, rather than building suspense or adding depth, only serve to make the narrative feel tired and unoriginal. The lack of creativity in the storyline means that even potential twists are telegraphed far in advance, leaving little room for genuine suspense. The only bright spot in the film is Jacob Batalon, who adds some much-needed comedy to the otherwise dreary proceedings. His comedic timing provides brief relief from the monotony and gives the audience something to enjoy amidst the chaos but does little to improve the movie. Even the horror elements, which should be the film’s strength, are poorly executed. The scare scenes are predictable and lack the punch necessary to leave a lasting impact. The build-up to these moments is often clumsy, with telegraphed scares that fail to deliver the desired jolt. On The Scene Snobs Channel, we believe that if you don't like a movie, you should recommend another. If you are not a fan of Tarot, I suggest watching 'Dead Silence' from 2007. This film offers a more engaging and original take on horror, with a well-crafted story and genuinely creepy moments.

Can't have a movie with people of color or women anymore without someone being racist and sexist. That being said, this movie is... well, it's not the worst thing I've seen but that doesn't make it good either. The premise is a group of young adults go playing with tarot cards that don't belong to them and then the tarot cards come to life and start doing the murder because curses and vengeful spirits, also horoscopes and astrology are all the rage again, apparently. There's nothing new or original here and apart from one jump scare that got me, it's quite boring. There's one redeeming thing about this movie - it doesn't sequel-bait. It ends with some comedy and that's it. Thank goodness. I skipped watching The First Omen (2024) after about 25 minutes to watch this. I should've skipped this too and just watched another episode of FBI. Can we get some actual good horror this year?