Tarot Movie is a 2024 American supernatural horror film written and directed by Spenser Cohen and Anna Halberg, in their feature film directorial debuts, based on the 1992 novel Horrorscope by Nicholas Adams. The film stars Harriet Slater, Adain Bradley, Avantika, Wolfgang Novogratz, Humberly González, Larsen Thompson, Olwen Fouéré, and Jacob Batalon as a group of college students who, after using a strange Tarot deck, begin to gruesomely die one by one.
Tarot movie was released in the United States by Sony Pictures Releasing on May 3, 2024. The film received generally negative reviews from critics but was a box office success, grossing $49.1 million worldwide over a budget of $8 million
Was the tarot movie good?
Tarot is a creatively bankrupt and passionless horror movie that clearly has studio interference written all over it, from its formulaic and blood-free scares to a surprising cheapness that dilutes any potential it may have otherwise had.
Is the tarot movie true?
Netflix’s Tarot movie portrays Tarot reading and horoscope interpretation as interchangeable practices, but this is far from accurate.
What’s True about Tarot?
Tarot cards have long been associated with mysticism, occult practices, and fortune-telling. They are a set of 78 cards, each with unique symbols and meanings, used for divination, guidance, or spiritual reflection. Throughout history, the enigmatic nature of tarot has captivated people’s imaginations, and its presence has become increasingly visible in modern pop culture, especially in cinema. In the world of film, tarot is more than just a mystical artifact; it serves as a powerful narrative device, a visual metaphor, and an evocative symbol that enhances storytelling.
A History of Tarot in Popular Culture
The tarot’s journey into the realm of cinema began in the 20th century, a time when interest in the occult surged due to movements like Theosophy, Spiritualism, and the broader New Age. Films began to incorporate tarot as a way to introduce an element of mystery, suspense, and even horror. Tarot decks, with their rich symbology and evocative imagery, offered filmmakers a visual tool to weave deeper layers of meaning into their narratives.
For instance, the 1944 film Jane Eyre, based on Charlotte Brontë’s novel, uses tarot to emphasize the hidden knowledge of the character Rochester, who reads the cards as a way to control his destiny. The use of tarot in this film highlights the cards’ association with fate and foreshadowing, often revealing character motivations or the trajectory of the story.
Symbolism and Interpretation: Tarot as a Narrative Device
Tarot cards are often employed in films as a storytelling device, functioning as a mirror to the plot or as an indicator of future events. The Major Arcana, in particular, are frequently used to represent different stages of a character’s journey. Let’s explore some of the most common tarot cards seen in cinema and their thematic significance:
The Fool:
This card represents new beginnings, innocence, and the start of a journey. In cinema, The Fool often symbolizes a character embarking on an adventure or stepping into the unknown. In films like The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus (2009), The Fool represents the protagonist’s naive decisions that propel them into a fantastical world.
The Magician:
A card of power, will, and manifestation. It can often symbolize a figure who manipulates events, for better or worse. The Magician might be seen as a character who holds control over the mystical or manipulates forces beyond ordinary understanding, such as characters in films like The Prestige (2006), where illusion and reality blur.
Death:
Despite its ominous appearance, the Death card in tarot signifies transformation, endings, and new beginnings. It’s frequently used in film to represent a major turning point, not necessarily physical death. In Live and Let Die (1973), the card is ominously used, emphasizing the constant sense of danger and transformation the characters face.
The Tower:
A symbol of chaos, destruction, and sudden change, The Tower represents moments in films where everything falls apart. Its appearance in tarot readings is often a precursor to major conflicts or upheavals, such as in The Devil Rides Out (1968), where tarot readings involving The Tower foreshadow the disastrous consequences of dark magic.
The Lovers:
Associated with choices, relationships, and emotional bonds, The Lovers are often seen in films with romantic subplots or dilemmas. In The Red Violin (1998), a tarot reading guides the narrative, with The Lovers card predicting complex emotional entanglements that shape the characters’ destinies.
Tarot as a Visual Tool: Enhancing Atmosphere and Symbolism
Cinematic depictions of tarot extend beyond their narrative function. Visually, tarot cards are potent symbols of esoteric knowledge and hidden truths, providing directors with a visually compelling way to create atmosphere.
In films like The Ninth Gate (1999), directed by Roman Polanski, tarot and other occult symbols are intricately woven into the film’s aesthetic, reinforcing the theme of a dangerous quest for forbidden knowledge. The film, centered on the search for an ancient occult book, employs tarot-like symbology to immerse the viewer in an atmosphere of dark, mystical intrigue.
Similarly, in The Love Witch (2016), tarot cards are presented not only as a tool of divination but also as a visual representation of the protagonist’s internal struggles. The film is steeped in the aesthetics of the 1960s and 70s occult revival, using tarot imagery to enhance its feminist subtext and critique of patriarchal power structures.
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Tarot and Archetypes: Jungian Influence on Film
Psychologist Carl Jung’s theory of archetypes has been closely tied to tarot interpretations in both real-world practices and film narratives. Jung believed that tarot cards tap into the collective unconscious, embodying universal archetypes that resonate with everyone. In cinema, tarot often serves as a tool to externalize these internal, archetypal journeys.
The Hero’s Journey, for instance, as outlined by mythologist Joseph Campbell, closely mirrors the progression through the tarot’s Major Arcana. Many films that incorporate tarot follow this structural progression, allowing the cards to serve as a guidepost for character development. Movies such as The Matrix (1999) subtly reflect this archetypal framework. While it may not directly involve tarot cards, the film’s journey of enlightenment, choice, and destiny mirrors the esoteric themes found in tarot readings.
In other films, tarot readings are used to explore characters’ inner conflicts or unresolved psychological issues. The 1960 film Eyes Without a Face, for example, uses tarot imagery as a way to confront themes of identity, guilt, and the loss of humanity. Here, tarot functions as both a literal and metaphorical mirror, reflecting the characters’ hidden motivations and desires.
Tarot in Horror Films: Fear and the Occult
The horror genre has a particular affinity for tarot cards, using them to heighten suspense and foreshadow doom. In films like The Wolf Man (1941), tarot cards are explicitly used to predict the curse of lycanthropy, creating an atmosphere of inevitable tragedy. In these instances, tarot cards are imbued with dark power, often serving as a prelude to horrific events.
The Exorcist (1973), while tarot cards are not the primary focus, the themes of fate and spiritual warfare present in the film mirror the broader themes often associated with tarot readings. The idea of spiritual forces manipulating human lives is central to both the film and to tarot’s association with unseen, mystical powers.
Similarly, in Suspiria (1977), tarot cards are used to foreshadow the protagonist’s entanglement with a witch’s coven, symbolizing her slow descent into a world of supernatural horror. The visual style of the film, with its rich, saturated colors, enhances the dreamlike and often nightmarish quality associated with tarot’s more sinister connotations.
Conclusion: Tarot as a Cinematic Portal to the Mystical
As a symbolic and narrative tool, tarot cards have found a natural place in the world of cinema. Their rich history, loaded with esoteric meaning and visual allure, makes them an invaluable resource for filmmakers looking to explore themes of destiny, transformation, and the human psyche. Whether used to foreshadow events, to reflect internal character struggles, or to enhance the atmosphere of a film, tarot cards offer a cinematic portal to the mystical and the unknown.
From psychological thrillers to horror films, and even art-house cinema, the presence of tarot in movies continues to captivate audiences, tapping into our collective fascination with fate, magic, and the mysteries that lie just beyond our understanding. As filmmakers continue to explore these arcane symbols, tarot’s cinematic legacy will only grow, inviting viewers to delve deeper into the labyrinth of the unknown.