"Tarot" promised to be a breath of fresh air in the horror genre, bringing with it an intriguing concept that harkened back to the iconic "Final Destination" saga. However, it quickly proved to be hindered by its own limitations, resulting in an experience that, while entertaining, falls short of expectations.
From the moment I watched the trailer, I was intrigued by the premise of young people trying to escape a fatal destiny, immediately bringing to mind "Final Destination," one of my favorite horror franchises. However, my hopes were dashed when I learned that the film was rated PG-13, indicating that deaths would be censored to allow a younger audience to watch the film in theaters and thus generate greater financial profits. Violence isn't always crucial in a horror film; there are works that don't need it to be good, like "Insidious," "The Ring," or the fantastic "The Others," but in this case, it was necessary to ensure a complete experience. And as predicted, despite the potential in the horror scenes, I felt that it was all wasted.
The same sense of wasted potential also accompanies the film's narrative, which is rushed and superficial, sacrificing character development for a fast-paced rhythm, making it difficult to create an emotional connection with the characters, depriving us of empathy that could enrich our experience. An additional ten or fifteen minutes dedicated to character development would have been beneficial, providing greater psychological and motivational depth.
Despite these shortcomings, "Tarot" has its merits. The film manages to keep us captivated until the end, eager to discover the fate reserved for the characters and whether they will be able to change the course dictated by the tarot cards. Additionally, the visual of the creatures inspired by the tarot figures is one of the highlights, it's just a shame they didn't have a greater presence on screen.
However, it's in the final moments that "Tarot" truly reveals its wasted potential. The revelation of the origin of the cursed deck and the confrontation with the vengeful spirit are intriguing, but the way the characters deal with this situation seems unconvincing and even frustrating. The ending, in particular, feels forced and unsatisfactory, almost reminiscent of a parody rather than a genuinely tense and frightening moment.
In summary, "Tarot" had all the ingredients to stand out as a kind of cousin or even a worthy spiritual successor to "Final Destination" and impress fans of the horror genre. However, by choosing to stay in its comfort zone and not risk beyond established limits, it ended up confined to mediocrity, becoming just another generic horror title, suitable for a relaxed night among friends, but unable to leave a mark on the horror film landscape.
(SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS) Regarding the ending, we discover that the cursed tarot deck, used by the protagonists to read their destiny, was created many years ago by a psychic. This psychic created it to seek revenge against those who murdered her daughter, and near the end, her spirit appears to torment them. It was at this point that I questioned: "If the deck curses the person they read the cards for, why don't the characters do it with the psychic who cursed them?" I ended up feeling annoyed that it took them so long to do it, making them seem unintelligent.
Additionally, in this spoiler segment, I was surprised by how they revealed that Jacob Batalon's character survived. It seemed a bit forced, exaggerated, and out of place from the rest of the tone of the work. In fact, at that moment, I felt like I was watching a scene from "Scary Movie."
From the moment I watched the trailer, I was intrigued by the premise of young people trying to escape a fatal destiny, immediately bringing to mind "Final Destination," one of my favorite horror franchises. However, my hopes were dashed when I learned that the film was rated PG-13, indicating that deaths would be censored to allow a younger audience to watch the film in theaters and thus generate greater financial profits. Violence isn't always crucial in a horror film; there are works that don't need it to be good, like "Insidious," "The Ring," or the fantastic "The Others," but in this case, it was necessary to ensure a complete experience. And as predicted, despite the potential in the horror scenes, I felt that it was all wasted.
The same sense of wasted potential also accompanies the film's narrative, which is rushed and superficial, sacrificing character development for a fast-paced rhythm, making it difficult to create an emotional connection with the characters, depriving us of empathy that could enrich our experience. An additional ten or fifteen minutes dedicated to character development would have been beneficial, providing greater psychological and motivational depth.
Despite these shortcomings, "Tarot" has its merits. The film manages to keep us captivated until the end, eager to discover the fate reserved for the characters and whether they will be able to change the course dictated by the tarot cards. Additionally, the visual of the creatures inspired by the tarot figures is one of the highlights, it's just a shame they didn't have a greater presence on screen.
However, it's in the final moments that "Tarot" truly reveals its wasted potential. The revelation of the origin of the cursed deck and the confrontation with the vengeful spirit are intriguing, but the way the characters deal with this situation seems unconvincing and even frustrating. The ending, in particular, feels forced and unsatisfactory, almost reminiscent of a parody rather than a genuinely tense and frightening moment.
In summary, "Tarot" had all the ingredients to stand out as a kind of cousin or even a worthy spiritual successor to "Final Destination" and impress fans of the horror genre. However, by choosing to stay in its comfort zone and not risk beyond established limits, it ended up confined to mediocrity, becoming just another generic horror title, suitable for a relaxed night among friends, but unable to leave a mark on the horror film landscape.
(SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS) Regarding the ending, we discover that the cursed tarot deck, used by the protagonists to read their destiny, was created many years ago by a psychic. This psychic created it to seek revenge against those who murdered her daughter, and near the end, her spirit appears to torment them. It was at this point that I questioned: "If the deck curses the person they read the cards for, why don't the characters do it with the psychic who cursed them?" I ended up feeling annoyed that it took them so long to do it, making them seem unintelligent.
Additionally, in this spoiler segment, I was surprised by how they revealed that Jacob Batalon's character survived. It seemed a bit forced, exaggerated, and out of place from the rest of the tone of the work. In fact, at that moment, I felt like I was watching a scene from "Scary Movie."