Netflix recently rolled out it’s brand new horror ‘Tarot’, which is currently available on the popular streaming platform following the film’s run in theaters on May 3rd and then on digital platforms on May 28th.
Directed by Anna Halberg and Spenser Cohen, the film tells the story of: “Friends unwittingly unleash an unspeakable evil trapped within a cursed deck of tarot cards. One by one, they come face to face with fate, racing against death to escape the future foretold in their readings.”
If you have ever watched a PG-13 horror and walked away thinking – “that movie would have been so much better as an R rated film” – ‘Tarot’ is that. The film is based on the novel “Horrorscope” which was also the original title of the film, and has a run time of around 90 minutes.
The premise of the film is solid enough, setting the table for what could be a really memorable horror, but the confines of a PG-13 rating, which likely influenced the direction of the film primarily towards the jump scare approach, really anchored this film from being anything more than watchable.
The tore-down approach to this film made it seem like it was made in a factory line, with the same “cookie-cutter” approach as many other horror films looking to simply make it to theaters and cash in as much as possible.
But the story and setup of ‘Tarot’ left me wondering “what could have been” if the film was daring enough to be bold, different, and unique.
The cast is okay, and the performances are tolerable, even though the quick pacing of the film really compromised character development and basic understanding of who is who.
‘Tarot’ is an example of a great story, with a lot of potential, that leaves you far more disappointed than scared. The opportunities for story expansion, epic horror moments, and numerous spin off films is obvious, which makes this movie that much more…disappointing.
It’s worth a watch and doesn’t drag, making it a decent choice if nothing else catches your eye while browsing Netflix.
