Tarot Movie Review: A Horror Film vs. Real Tarot Cards

Introduction

The 2024 horror film Tarot transforms a deck of cards into a deadly antagonist, unleashing astrological monsters on a group of unsuspecting college friends. While it employs a classic horror setup, it raises a more significant question for anyone familiar with the practice: Does the movie get anything right about tarot?

This review moves beyond the jump scares and plot summary to deconstruct how the film uses its cursed deck as a storytelling device. We will compare its dramatic interpretations to the nuanced, intuitive art of a real tarot reading. Whether you're a horror fan curious about the lore or a tarot practitioner wondering if Hollywood has misrepresented your craft, this analysis offers a comprehensive breakdown.

Let’s explore if this supernatural horror film delivers on its chilling premise and how its portrayal stacks up against the true spirit of the cards.

What Is the New Tarot Movie About? A Plot Summary

The plot of the 2024 movie Tarot follows a well-trodden yet effective horror formula. The story centers on a group of college friends staying at a remote mansion who stumble upon a mysterious, handcrafted wooden box containing an old set of tarot cards. Ignoring the cardinal rule of tarot—never use someone else's deck—the group's resident astrology enthusiast, Haley, gives each of her friends a reading.

Initially, the readings seem like harmless fun, predicting futures based on archetypes like The High Priestess, The Magician, and The Hermit. However, the amusement quickly turns to terror when the friends begin dying in ways that grotesquely mirror their tarot card predictions. The group soon realizes they have unleashed a malevolent entity trapped within the cursed cards. What follows is a desperate race against time as the survivors try to understand the curse's origin and find a way to break it before their grim fortunes are fulfilled. This plot summary highlights a classic supernatural horror setup, but the film's execution is where the real critique begins.

With the premise established, it's time to delve into whether the movie delivers on its promise of terror and suspense in this detailed film review.

Tarot Movie Review: A Formulaic But Fun Supernatural Horror Ride

As a supernatural horror film, Tarot delivers a familiar yet entertaining experience reminiscent of franchises like Final Destination and The Grudge. It doesn't reinvent the genre, but it provides enough creature-feature fun and jump scares to satisfy fans looking for a quick thrill. This review breaks down its strengths and weaknesses.

The Scares and Pacing: Jump Scares Over Atmosphere

The film prioritizes sudden, loud jump scares over the slow-burn dread that defines more atmospheric horror. Each tarot card's monstrous manifestation is designed for maximum shock value, appearing abruptly to dispatch its victim. While some of these creature designs are genuinely creepy—particularly The Hermit—the reliance on this technique feels repetitive by the film's end. The pacing is brisk, moving quickly from one character's demise to the next, which keeps the energy high but sacrifices deeper character development and suspense. The result is a film that functions more like a temporary haunted house ride than a lingering psychological horror that stays with you after the credits roll.

Character Development and Acting

The cast of college friends fits neatly into standard horror archetypes: the skeptic, the believer, the comic relief, and the final girl. The performances are serviceable, with the actors doing their best to elevate the often-cliché dialogue. However, the characters are not given much depth beyond their designated roles in the plot. Viewers receive just enough information to understand their impending doom but not enough to feel a profound connection, making their deaths feel more like checking items off a list than tragic losses. This is a common pitfall in ensemble horror, and Tarot doesn't manage to sidestep it.

Overall Verdict: Who Is This Movie For?

Tarot is tailor-made for a younger audience or horror fans who enjoy straightforward, creature-focused slashers. If you appreciate the creative death sequences of Final Destination and don't mind a predictable plot, you'll likely find this a fun watch. However, those seeking complex characters or deep, atmospheric terror may be left wanting. User reviews often echo this sentiment, praising the monster designs while noting the formulaic story. This is a perfect "popcorn horror" flick for a Friday night, but its most significant flaw lies in its misrepresentation of its source material.

The film uses tarot cards as a simple plot device for horror, but this sensationalized portrayal starkly contrasts with their real-world purpose—a topic that deserves a closer look.

How the Tarot Movie Portrays Tarot Cards vs. Reality

One of the most compelling aspects of analyzing Tarot is comparing its Hollywood horror interpretation with the authentic practice of tarot reading. The film takes significant creative liberties to build its narrative of cursed cards, creating a stark difference between cinematic fiction and spiritual reality. This section answers the question, "what is the truth about tarot vs. the movie?"

The "Cursed Deck" Trope: Horror vs. Authenticity

The movie's entire plot hinges on the idea that using someone else's tarot deck unleashes a deadly curse. This is the film's biggest and most dramatic fabrication.

• In the Movie: Using the deck is a fatal mistake, binding the reader and their subjects to a malevolent force. This rule is presented as an ancient, unbreakable law.
• In Reality: While many tarot practitioners prefer not to let others handle their cards, the reasoning is far more mundane. It's about maintaining a personal energetic connection with the deck, similar to not wanting someone else to read your personal journal. There is no widespread belief that using another's deck will curse you; at worst, it might feel "off" or lead to a less clear reading.

Misinterpreting the Cards: Death, The Devil, and The High Priestess

The film transforms tarot archetypes into literal monsters. The character who draws The High Priestess is hunted by a ghoulish figure, while The Magician becomes a deadly illusionist. This literalism is purely for horror effect and misrepresents the cards' symbolic meanings.

• The Death Card: In tarot, this card rarely signifies literal death. It almost always represents transformation, the end of a cycle, or shedding old habits to make way for new beginnings. It is a card of profound change, not a physical death sentence.
• The Devil Card: This card does not represent a literal demon. It symbolizes bondage, addiction, negative patterns, or materialism—the self-imposed chains that restrict a person's freedom and potential.
• The High Priestess Card: This card represents intuition, mystery, and the subconscious mind. It encourages looking inward for answers and trusting one's instincts, not being stalked by a creature from the shadows.

Tarot as a Tool for Guidance, Not a Harbinger of Doom

Ultimately, the film presents tarot as a deterministic tool that predicts an inescapable, gruesome fate. This is the antithesis of the true purpose of tarot. Real tarot reading is a practice of introspection and empowerment. The cards are seen as a mirror to the subconscious, offering insights and perspectives that can help a person navigate life's challenges and opportunities across various domains—from career crossroads and relationship dynamics in personal development to overcoming creative blocks in professional fields. It is a tool for guidance, not a crystal ball showing an unchangeable, horrifying future.

Understanding these distinctions is key, especially for parents whose children might see the film and become either frightened of or misinformed about tarot.

Parent's Guide to Tarot the Movie

For parents wondering if Tarot is appropriate for their teens, this guide breaks down the content to help you make an informed decision. This parent's guide covers the key elements of its PG-13 rating.

Violence and Gore

The film contains several intense and violent death sequences. While not excessively gory, the violence is impactful and centered on horror imagery.

• Characters are impaled, fall from great heights, and are attacked by monstrous supernatural beings.
• The deaths are often sudden and accompanied by loud jump scares.
• There is some blood shown, but the focus is more on the terrifying situation and the creature-inflicted violence rather than graphic detail.

Frightening Themes and Supernatural Elements

The core of the film's horror lies in its supernatural themes.

• The central concept of being hunted by an unstoppable, malevolent entity is a primary source of fear.
• The creature designs are intentionally disturbing and monstrous.
• Themes of inescapable fate, curses, and demonic possession are prevalent throughout the movie and can be unsettling for younger or more sensitive viewers.

Language and Other Content

The film's PG-13 rating also accounts for some mature content.

• There is scattered use of profanity, including instances of the F-word.
• The characters are college-aged, and there are scenes involving social drinking, but no explicit substance abuse is depicted.

Is Tarot the Movie Based on a True Story?

It is crucial to clarify that the movie Tarot is not based on a true story. It is a work of pure fiction, drawing from the horror genre's long tradition of "cursed object" narratives. The film uses tarot cards as a thematic element to create a horror movie with cursed cards, but the events and the "curse" itself have no basis in real-world events or authentic tarot beliefs. This distinction can help reframe the topic, showing how tarot is often used positively for simple daily insight and guidance.

Conclusion

Ultimately, Tarot delivers exactly what it promises: a formulaic yet entertaining supernatural horror film filled with jump scares and creative monster designs. While it succeeds as a fun, if forgettable, genre entry, its most significant legacy is its sensationalized portrayal of its source material. The film reduces a nuanced practice of introspection and guidance to a simple plot device—a cursed object that deals inescapable death.

Looking ahead, the relationship between popular entertainment and spiritual practices will continue to evolve. Films like Tarot highlight a persistent trend where complex traditions are simplified for mass consumption, often at the expense of accuracy. The real challenge for audiences is not to avoid these films but to engage with them critically. The question is no longer whether pop culture will borrow from these sources, but how effectively we can distinguish between thrilling fiction and authentic meaning. The true power lies not in the cards, but in the understanding we bring to them.