Review : Tarot : ‘Horoscopic’ horror!

The supernatural horror genre films keep making it to the theatres at regular intervals. It is often said that horror films from #Hollywood are neatly crafted but recently released ‘#Tarot’ breaks the rule. ‘Tarot’ is too predictive and fails to scare you most of the time. The storyline looks familiar with a bunch of friends having a night out at a secluded mansion in the woods which is haunted. Apart from a few well picurised grotesquely gratifying murders it lacks the required chills and thrills. ‘Tarot’ which is based on #NicholasAdams’ 1992 novel ‘#Horoscope’, turns out to be a ‘Horoscopic’ horror film.

A group of friends rent out a mansion in the woods to celebrates one of the friend’s, Elise’s birthday. As they are partying one of them finds an old deck of Tarot cards with horrible pictures. Despite warning from one of the friends who happens to be a tarot card reader, Haley (Harriet Slater), all of them, Paxton (Jacob Batalon), Paige (Anantika Vandanapu), Madeline (Humberly Gonzales), Elise (Larsen Thompson), Alma Astryn (Olwen Fouéré) and a reluctant Grant (Adain Bradley), insist on finding what’s in store for them in future. Next morning all of them return to New York only to find out that the birthday girl is killed in a freaky accident. The Haley notices that whatever prediction she had made has come true. There are a couple of more accidents cum murders from the same group of friends. The surviving friends come together and try to find out how to overcome the curse. What transpires after and around it forms the crux of the story.

The story offers nothing new and the screenplay is too predictive. But the director has used some novel ways to scare audience and he is successful most of the time. The character graphs are hardly developed and it creates a jumbled up atmosphere. The technical side is excellent and the background score helps in building up the horror. The cinematography is excellent and the production values are high. The acting department consisting of Adain Bradley, Avantika Vandanapu, Wolfgang Novogratz, Humberly González, Larsen Thomson, Jacob Batalon lend good support to Harriet Slater who steals the show with her histrionics.

‘Tarot’ is too predictive and could be enjoyed by the horror film aficionados.

Rating : ***