MY CALL: A cool theme, great character writing, and crisp filmmaking across the board make this a more memorable and entertaining contribution to sub-R horror. MORE MOVIES LIKE Tarot: Maybe Thirteen Ghosts (2001) and the Final Destination franchise (2011).
Celebrating a birthday, a group of affluent college students rent a mansion. After running out of beer, they search the palatial home in search of a liquor cabinet only to find a very creepy cellar festooned with what appear to be possibly cursed curios a la The Cabin in the Woods (2012). Among the antiquities are astrological themes, divinations, and an ancient set of Tarot cards which, of course, they’re going to use despite the knowledge that one shouldn’t use someone else’s Tarot deck. User beware…
Our protagonists—Haley (Harriet Slater; Pennyworth), Grant (Adain Bradley; Wrong Turn), Paxton (Jacob Batalon; Spider-Man Home Trilogy), Paige (Avantika; Mean Girls), Madeline (Humberly González; Nobody, Orphan Black, In the Dark), Lucas (Wolfgang Novogratz; Assassination Nation), and Elise (Larsen Thompson; Bloodline).
Being the most astrologically knowledgeable of the group, Haley handles the readings and explains to her friends and the audience how Tarot readings are conducted. The writing is top notch; and so are her readings. And as the viewers may have guessed, the card themes of each reading are forecasting the ghoulish fates that will befall those learning their fortunes once they return to campus after the weekend.
The monstrous imagery and behavior of our malevolent Tarot spirits is a satisfying admixture of Thirteen Ghosts (2001) and Insidious (2010), while some of the scare tactics are more in the style of Lights Out (2016). Most importantly, at least some of these ghosts look great. Still, there’s some of the typical blurry shaky glimpses and lame CGI ghouls to be found as well. The first death was conceptually quite mean, with subsequent death scenes being more derivative, even if decently executed, with the gruesome stuff left more implied and off-screen.
After the first two deaths, our protagonists fear a pattern tracing back to their Tarot readings. They seek the help of an expert astrologist and investigator of such Final Destination-like post-Tarot death phenomena. Alma (Olwen Fouéré; Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Mandy, Sea Fever) advises them of what is happening and how to survive. The rest is in their own hands.
Jacob Batalon is an endearing delight, in part from his personable acting style, and in equal part due to the pleasantly surprisingly writing, which actually makes these characters interesting and entertaining to watch even when not being hunted by murderous apparitions. The camera work and editing were also above my expectations, and complemented the introductory dialogue.
Sub R-rated horror often falls prey to toothless terrors, less inspired writers fettered by rating boards and producers, and reduced intensity from directors. Yet I find Tarot’s cultivation of dread very effective, particularly in the early horror scenes. Was this intense? Outside of a few scenes (especially the first death scene), not terribly. But it made valiant efforts.
Truly, this is pretty solid for PG-13 horror. This film is generally well-made in all dimensions down to the set design and the individual Tarot card designs. Our rather green writer-director team of Spenser Cohen and Anna Halberg have done splendidly! I certainly look forward to whatever they do next.