Tarot

Tarot is a 2024 American supernatural horror film written and directed by Spenser Cohen and Anna Halberg (in their feature film directorial debut) and co-written by Nicholas Adams. It is based on a 1992 novel, Horrorscope, by Nicholas Adams. The film stars Harriet Slater, Adain Bradley, Avantika Vandanapu, Wolfgang Novogratz, Humberly González, Larsen Thompson, and Jacob Batalon. After a group of college students use a strange Tarot deck, they begin to gruesomely die one-by-one and must uncover the deck’s mystery before time runs out.
Tarot was released in the United States by Sony Pictures Releasing on May 3, 2024. The film received negative reviews from critics and has grossed $12 million worldwide.
== Plot ==
A group of friends - Haley, Grant, Paxton, Paige, Madeline, Lucas, and Elise - rent a mansion in the Catskills for Elise's birthday. With tension in the group following Haley and Grant's recent breakup, they decide to distract themselves by having Haley read their horoscopes with a box of strange tarot cards discovered in the basement. Although Haley states that using someone else's deck is against the rules in Tarot, they decide to proceed. Elise receives The High Priestess, Lucas The Hermit, Madeline The Hanged Man, Paige  The Magician, Paxton The Fool, Grant The Devil card, and Haley Death. 
The next day, the group returns to campus and notices Haley's readings coming true. That night, Elise investigates strange noises in the attic and is attacked by a monstrous version of The High Priestess, who bludgeons her to death with a ladder. Her death is considered an accident, shocking the others. Haley reveals she began Tarot reading while her mother was fighting illness, but the cards always foretold her death. Lucas is later attacked by The Hermit in a train station and is killed by a speeding train while attempting to flee. Haley notices each death corresponds to the tarot readings and the group suspects something is amiss with the deck. 
The group decides to visit Alma Astryn, an expert on the occult and tarot readings. She identifies the cards as belonging to an Astrologer who, in the late 18th century, served a Hungarian baron and would predict the future for him. After a reading that predicted the baron's pregnant wife would die in childbirth came true, the grief-stricken Baron ordered his men to kill the Astrologer's daughter. The Astrologer, enraged with grief, killed herself and cursed the deck to kill anyone who used them. Alma reveals the cards are responsible for several tarot reading group massacres, including an incident in London that she narrowly survived. Alma urges the group to destroy the deck, which is still at the mansion. 
While driving there, their car breaks down and they are attacked by The Hanged Man, who kills Madeline. Terrified, Paxton leaves the others and returns to campus, but is stalked by The Fool and eventually cornered in an elevator. Meanwhile, Haley, Grant and Paige return to the mansion, but are unable to burn the cards and request Alma's assistance. She attempts to contact the Astrologer's spirit. Despite successfully summoning her, Alma is killed by the Six of Swords. Paige accidentally breaks off from Grant and Haley and is lured into the basement, where she gets sawed in half by The Magician. Upstairs, Grant and Haley are attacked by The Devil and Death respectively. 
As Grant is dragged away by The Devil, Haley confronts the Astrologer with her deck, giving her Death. Haley lets go of her mother's grief and the Astrologer's spirit, consequently, is burnt alongside the deck. Haley and Grant reconcile over their survival and relationship and start to make their way home. On the way, they reunite with Paxton, who had survived his ordeal after his roommate, Todd, opened the elevator door at the last second, which made The Fool disappear. 
== Cast ==
==Production==
Deadline Hollywood reported the production of Horrorscope in June 2022, with Jacob Batalon, Alana Boden, Avantika Vandanapu, Adain Bradley joining the cast. The film was directed and written by Spenser Cohen and Anna Halberg, based on Nicholas Adams's 1992 novel of the same name. Ground Control's Scott Glassgold produced through Alloy Entertainment, together with Leslie Morgenstein and Elysa Koplovitz Dutton. Halberg and Cohen served as executive producers. Screen Gems also produced the film. In July 2022, Humberly González joined the cast. In October 2022, Harriet Slater joined the cast.
In January 2024, the film was renamed to Tarot.
== Release ==
Tarot was originally scheduled to be released on June 28, 2024, before being moved up to May 10, 2024. It was later moved down a week to May 3, 2024.
==Reception==
===Box office===
, Tarot has grossed $8.6 million in the United States and Canada and $3.8 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $12.3 million.
In the United States and Canada, Tarot was released alongside The Fall Guy, and was projected to gross $5–6 million from 3,104 theaters in its opening weekend. The film made $2.5 million on its first day, including $715,000 from preview screenings. It went on to debut to $6.3 million, finishing in fourth.
===Critical response===
 Audiences surveyed by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "C–" on an A+ to F scale, while those polled at PostTrak gave it a 59% overall positive score.
== External links ==
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== References ==
Category:2024 films
Category:Films starring Harriet Slater
Category:Films starring Jacob Batalon
Category:Films starring Avantika Vandanapu
Category:Films starring Adain Bradley
Category:Films starring Humberly González
Category:Films starring Wolfgang Novogratz
Category:Films starring Larsen Thompson
Category:Films starring Olwen Fouéré
Category:Films
Category:2024 directorial debut films
Category:2024 horror films
Category:2020s American films
Category:2020s English-language films
Category:2020s supernatural horror films
Category:American ghost films
Category:American supernatural horror films
Category:Demons in film
Category:Films based on horror novels
Category:Films about curses
Category:Films scored by Joseph Bishara
Category:Screen Gems films
Category:Sony Pictures films
Category:Tarot in popular culture