Tarot actually has a really good setup. Seven friends are at an air bnb and find a Tarot deck. And just like that I have issues. A couple (Haley and Grant) has broken up, literally right before they arrived at the weekend getaway. A few minutes before they found the deck, the friends were joking about how those two were likely to be married as they were practically already. Awkward moment as two separate discussions happen explaining how that is no longer likely. Haley is coerced by the friends to do readings in spite of it violating the “rule” never to use someone else’s deck. But when Haley gets ready to start doing Tarot readings for everyone and Grant doesn’t know that she did that. It was jarring. How are you practically married to someone and not know that detail?

There are several key moments in this movie where characters do things that are dumb. Someone thinks there is someone in the house with her, so she hangs up the phone call to investigate. Who would do that? Honestly that scene could have played out exactly the same had she stayed on the phone. This really bothers me as it detracts from what would have been an otherwise pretty damn good movie. I know horror movie tropes rely on people doing dumb things, but I like it where the movie manages to exist and progress without relying on characters doing dumb things. Write better, don’t rely on jump scares, cliches, and tropes.

It has a Final Destination vibe to it. There are interpretations from the readings that Haley did which become the means by which they die. Which was pretty cool. And as they try and figure this out, the history of the deck comes to light. Which was pretty wild. The deck belonged to “The Astrologer” and events that happened during her life caused the deck to be cursed.

I may have a soft spot for this movie because I like Tarot cards and enjoyed the Final Destination movies and like scary things. Especially when there is a degree of originality at play. And this had all of that. As the friends try and figure out how to beat the curse of fate, that same fate is haunting them (Hunting them? Both really.) and picking them off one by one. As the story pushes towards the end, there are a few more moments of frustration interlaced with well done things.

As someone who has done editing for writers in the past, I know there are moments where you are too close to a project. And having a voice whisper in your ear can drastically improve something. They needed some dark whispers in their ears to guide them.

I’m perhaps looking at this a bit harshly as I give it a star rating of 5. Because I enjoyed it. And would watch it again (if I had free time and not approximately 13 years worth of viewing material and reading material to get through.) But I feel strongly that bad decisions shouldn’t be rewarded. I have a rolled up newspaper in hand and am smacking this movie on the nose for pooping in the living room.

I do look forward to what Spenser Cohen and Anna Halberg do next and will look back at their past works based on this one.