Tarot (2024) Review – A Chilling Horror Movie That Gets Tarot Reading Right

 

Horror Elements That Deliver Real Fear

 Tarot isn’t just visually striking—it’s genuinely terrifying. The film uses classic 

supernatural horror tropes like cursed objects, spirit possession, and fatalistic prophecy but elevates them through a fresh lens. The atmosphere is thick with dread, accentuated by dim candlelit scenes, sudden apparitions, and ritualistic symbolism. Each character’s death is foreshadowed by their card pull, creating a sense of inevitable doom that builds relentless tension. The horror lies not only in jump scares but in the psychological unraveling that accompanies each reading. This mix of occult lore and visceral fear makes Tarot a standout in the supernatural horror genre.

 

 

 

 

 The Horror Movie Every Tarot Reader Needs to Watch

 As both a horror movie enthusiast and a professional tarot reader, I was intrigued (and a little cautious) when I heard about Tarot (2024). Let’s be honest—Hollywood rarely gets tarot reading right. But Tarot didn’t just surprise me—it absolutely thrilled me.

From the moment the mysterious deck appears on screen, it’s clear this isn’t your typical horror movie prop. The tarot cards featured in the film are stunningly illustrated, deeply symbolic, and—this is crucial—accurately interpreted within the context of the story. For a film rooted in supernatural terror, it takes the tradition of tarot reading remarkably seriously.

A Custom Deck Like No Other

 The deck used in Tarot is completely unique, designed specifically for the film. With art that blends gothic horror, surreal symbolism, and esoteric nuance, each card feels like it belongs in a real-life occult collection. The Devil, the Tower, and Death are particularly haunting. Here are a few that caught my eye:

• The Devil – Rendered with monstrous detail and a chained figure trembling at its feet, this card radiates both temptation and terror.
•     The Tower – Depicted with an explosive surge of shadow and lightning, it beautifully captures sudden upheaval and unavoidable disaster.
•     Death – A skeletal figure cloaked in ritual garb, standing over a blossoming flower—perfectly showing transformation, not just doom.

 

What sets this film apart from others in the horror movie genre is that it doesn’t reduce tarot to a fortune-teller cliché. The characters’ readings are carefully scripted to reflect the true meaning of each card. As someone who reads professionally, I was shocked—in the best way—by how spot-on the interpretations were. It felt like the writers actually consulted with real tarot practitioners. And perhaps they did.

Accurate Tarot Readings in a Supernatural Setting

The accuracy of the tarot readings is one of the most surprising elements of the film. Rather than using the cards for dramatic flair, Tarot integrates them into the story’s logic. Every reading has consequences that unfold in alignment with the traditional meanings of the cards. This isn’t just horror movie mysticism—it’s tarot reading done right, within a chilling narrative framework.

Here’s where many in the tarot community have voiced our disappointment: as of now, there is no commercially available version of the deck. That’s right—this beautifully crafted, eerie, unforgettable tarot deck remains locked away behind the screen. Social media is buzzing with readers (myself included) begging for an official release. It's a missed opportunity not only for merchandising but for connecting deeper with an audience that clearly wants more.

 

Final Thoughts: Horror and Tarot in Perfect Together

 If you're a fan of horror movies and tarot reading, Tarot is a must-watch. It blends supernatural dread with esoteric integrity, something rarely seen in mainstream horror. The custom deck is a visual and symbolic masterpiece, and the fact that the readings are accurate makes this film a standout.

Whether you're into jump scares or Jungian archetypes, this film delivers. Just don’t be surprised if you leave wishing you could shuffle that cursed deck for yourself.  And for those of you who have somehow not seen this movie yet and might still be on the fence,  here's a quick trailer...and by the way its streaming on Netflix now!

 

 

Hellraiser 2022 Will Tear You Apart! Review

 

 

For Pinhead and Clive Barker fans the wait is finally over!  Hellraiser was released this past Wednesday on Hulu.  Being a huge fan of the films and all of Clive Barker's books I couldn't wait to see it.  I had to wait for the weekend to see it though and just watched it today.

Let me first say a few things before I get into my thoughts on the new movie.

This is my SPOILER FREE reaction to the latest hellraiser reboot featuring Jamie Clayton as Pinhead. I breakdown my thoughts on the full movie...what I liked and what I didn't care for or more accurately what I feel they could have done better with.

Alright let's dive in!

I was really excited about seeing this reboot of Hellraiser if for no other reason it had Jamie Clayton playing Pinhead!  But I have to admit, after being burned with so many other reboot movies and favorite books being brought to streaming services and each one worst than the last I expected this film to be a piece of shit!  I have to say that I was blown away in that it didn't suck!

I should also say here that I have a major fucking psychotic response to films and TV not staying consistent with the original source material.  The reason being is that they take something that is great the way it is and try to turn it into something it is not.  This has never worked out in the end.  I don't know what it is with these asshole producers and directors that make them think they can do a better job than the person or persons who created it in the first place.  Its like a band recording a Beatles song and thinking they can do it better than the Beatles.

I'm telling you this now because 90% of the time if I don't like something, it has strayed too far away from the original source material.  The Hellraiser reboot does and does not do this.  It's its own story but at its core or its heart it is still Hellraiser.

I'll admit that when I started watching I wasn't liking it much.  There was a minor internal battle as to weather or not I was going to finish watching it.  The deciding factor was that I hadn't seen the new Pinhead in action yet so I kept watching.

I'm not saying that the beginning totally sucks but it kind of does.  It just feels contrived like it is trying to hard to be Hellraiser.  This brings me to one of the biggest flaws with the film and that's its characters.

A huge  part of the 1987 Hellraiser success was that it was very Character driven both in the novella and the film. I cared about Larry, Julia, Frank and had a huge crush on Kirsty played by the gorgeous Ashley Laurence.  But the new Hellraiser characters are so week I can't even remember their names except for Trevor.  I just didn't give a crap if one or all of them died in the end...in fact a couple of them I couldn't wait to see Pinhead get her hooks into them and put them out of their misery.

In my opinion the only strong characters in this version of Hellraiser were the cenobites.  And lets face it, the cenobites and especially Pinhead are the real reason we want to watch the Hellraiser movies.  I thought all of them did a fantastic job.  They looked and felt like the demons of Hell.

Jamie Clayton was a kick ass Pinhead.  I thought she brought new life to an already great character.  When she said the iconic line from the 1987 Hellraiser, "We have such sights to show you..." I was hooked in!  Here is a quick interview with Jamie Clayton and her thoughts on the new film.

Jamie Clayton Interview

 

 

The other major weakness of Hellraiser 2022 is that plot is kind of non-specific.  There is a puzzle box which summons demons, the cenobites from another dimension who proceed to shred who ever solved the puzzle box.  This plot works better in the original version of Hellraiser because of the characters motivations.  As stated above, the new characters are weak as are their motivations through out the movie.  I think what is happening is that in the 2022 version they are trying to draw from the motivations of the first 2 Hellraiser films it doesn't fit right.

Now on to some of the things I really enjoyed with the 2022 Hellraiser!  I don't know enough about film techniques and the proper names of things.  With that being said, it looked and felt like Hellraiser on the screen.  It has a dark almost hopeless kind of feel to it.  This adds alot to it visually.

The score and sound track to the new Hellraiser were great.  The 1987 Hellraiser score is one of my favorites.  In fact my friends and I would use it frequently in our seasonal Halloween haunted houses.  The 2022 score is of the same caliber and I love that in a couple of place it slips into the original score.  Again this just enhances the whole film.

Most of the special effects were were pretty good.  The cenobites looked pretty fucking amazing!  Pinhead stole the show as she should.  I think Jamie Clayton gave the strongest performance out of all the other Characters.

So if your sitting on the fence about weather or not to see the new Hellraiser I would saw go for it.  It does not live up to the original but it is not that bad either.  like I said at the top, it didn't Suck.  I would give it a solid 3 out of 5 stars and maybe 4 out of 5 based on Jamie Clayton's Pinhead.

So as Doug Bradley would say, "No tears.  Its a waste of good suffering."

Check out Hellraiser on Hulu!

Here's the trailer if you somehow missed it.

The story of the most famous monster of all time!

    This is a classic story of grave robbing, mad scientist trying to create life in a medieval castle laboratory and the essence of man vs god.   Marry Shelley's Frankenstein has become a horror icon.  There are few who have not heard or seen some version of the book, movies or hundreds of other pop culture references to Frankenstein's monster...and at the same time so very few have actually experienced the terror of reading Mary Shelley's book.  For some it can be a difficult read as it is written in the old style English with many 50 cent words which were a sign of education at the time.  But the grim heart wrenching story is not to be missed.

   And so without further delay....Here is Mary Shelley's Frankenstein unabridged in all its dark and horrifying truth.

 

     Learn more! Frankenstein Lecture at The Carnegie Library https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GPKiI...​ 

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  Get the Frankenstein Paperback Book https://amzn.to/3nvoBeW​ 

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 Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/I-Love-Horro...

Coming Soon...Pit of Horrors

 Coming Soon...Pit of Horrors

 

Hey all you horror fans!  This is a new site I'm trying to resurrect from the grave....I had done the first version of this site in 2006 and had alot of fun with it.  Lately I could use a little more fun and so I'm bringing my love of horror back from an early demise.

The focus will be horror books and most of the categories that fall under it in some size shape or form.  I will also focus on horror movies and cutting edge thrillers.

If you have a favorite author or book you would like see covered or discused please leave it in the comments below.

 More to follow as soon as I can.

Thanks for your patience while I figure out how to tweak everything with this new blog.