Tarot (2024) - A Lukewarm Defence

Tarot (2024) has been on several lists for the worst horror movies of 2024, but does it truly deserve to be there? The second half of 2024 was a particularly strong year for horror, pitting Tarot up against the likes of The Substance, Longlegs, Heretic and Alien: Romulus, all huge successes. Against these, Tarot is weak in comparision, but I don't think it deserves quite as much hate as it seems to have accrued.

Tarot is the story of a group of teenagers renting an AirBnB when they discover an old pack of tarot cards. Of course, one of them, Haley (Harriet Slater), gives the group their readings, unleashing a curse on the group that sends their fortunes hunting them down.

The cliche pieces are all there; not-so-savvy teenagers, a cabin in the middle of the woods, and a cursed object. The idea of haunted tarot cards is unique and yet already feels tired, calling to mind a dozen other mediocre supernatural horrors, such as Truth or Dare and The Midnight Man.

However, Tarot makes the best with what it's got. Though the cast of friends have little chemistry and their jokes fall flat more often than not, their decision to use the tarot doesn't feel as unreasonable as other pivotal bad-horror-movie decisions. The astrology tie in does make it feel more like a light-hearted game - leaning into mocking astronomy TikTok - and the lack of forewarning (no candles blowing out or lights flickering) makes the game seem mundane to those involved. Of course the audience know that it will go awry, but that's because we're the audience. Though the friend group appears exactly like actors pretending to be college friends, there are some charming moments, particularly the tongue-in-cheek research scene that feels genre aware and relevant to teens today. This, along with poking fun at those who rely too heavily on astrology, make the characters somewhat likeable to follow, which is more than can be said for films like It Follows.

From there, the movie delivers on its premise. The teens are systematically hunted down by the entity until their fortunes come true in grizzly, and brutally literal, ways. The anticipation here comes from just how that 'ladder of success' will play into the death, or what The Magician card might do. The film delivers on these scares in a satisfactory way, using a fair amount of creativity and imagination to deliver some tension-filled chases and deaths. Whilst they're too formulaic to be truly terrifying, they're not boring either, especially for a PG-13 rating. (A 15 in the UK.) The seasoned horror fan may have seen it all before, but it would successfully scare a teen sleepover - which feels like what the film is aiming for.

The other stand out in the movie is the creature designs. Each tarot monster was brought to life with practical effects and is beautifully and intricately detailed. The design of the tarot creatures adds a polish and level of care that elevates the movie from another run-of-the-mill supernatural horror.

So, it's a shame that these scares, the draw of the film, are difficult to see. The lighting in most scenes are so dark that a lot of these details are lost to the void, losing a lot of the built-up tension.

Overall, there are no true standout performances or moments in Tarot. The lack of lighting and written-by-numbers script counteract the novelty of the creatures and few charming moments. That it came out along some big hits of horror this year only showed these flaws more obviously. All that being said, it's not entirely without merit, and worth watching to fill an afternoon.