Tag: Adain Bradley

Spoiler-Free Review of “Tarot” in Theaters: Gimmicky Version of Final Destination Feels Familiar

*This is a spoiler-free review so feel free to read on!*

“I’ve never seen cards like this before…”

Tarot released in theaters on May 3rd 2024. The supernatural horror film stars Harriet Slater, Avantika Vandananapu, Jacob Batalon, and Adain Bradley. It runs for approximately an hour and thirty minutes.

A group of friends unknowingly unleash a curse on them when they conduct horoscope readings with a box of tarot cards they find.

Here is the trailer:

Tarot attempts to channel films like Final Destination and Stay Alive, but does it do enough to earn a watch? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

Images courtesy of Sony Pictures

2000’s horror nostalgia.

This film brought me back to films like Final Destination, Stay Alive, and One Missed Call. I wouldn’t say that it was as good as any of those, but the premise was fun and creepy enough. There were a few stand-out characters to root for and it didn’t waste too much time with unnecessary fluff.

Images courtesy of Sony Pictures

Investigating the lore behind it all was actually interesting.

I was honestly impressed by the background provided for what was causing the curse on the deck of cards. The film was based off of a 1992 novel named Horrorscope and that probably helped with this. It enhanced the premise a lot more and I was more invested in the outcome because of it.

The Cons:

Images courtesy of Sony Pictures

Predictable with mostly cheesy scares.

There were actually a few well done scares toward the end, but the majority of them felt really watered down…especially in the beginning. This film needed some more edge and perhaps a decent twist to make it stand out. When it leaned more on twisted fun with its villains, it worked better. The dialogue wasn’t great and everything felt very rushed. I wish they would have spent a little bit more time on the lore because that was the most interesting part.

So am I in or out?

Images courtesy of Sony Pictures

I’m in about 75 percent…

Tarot has 2000’s horror energy with some creepy moments built in, but it needed to embrace some twisted fun to make it truly shine. 

I wouldn’t say that you need to rush to the theaters to see this one, but it’s worth a quick watch when it comes to streaming.

I hope you enjoyed the review and feel free to post your own thoughts and theories on Tarot in the comments section below. Thanks so much for reading and happy viewing!

Best,

Amy Koto, TV Fanatic Girl

THIS COMPETITION IS KILLER…

When former friends, Shay and Adriana team up to participate in a Halloween scavenger hunt with a cash prize, they temporarily put their differences aside to outsmart their opponents. However, they soon start to realize that a dangerous threat is playing their own version of the game, stalking them during each hunt.

Winning is now a necessity as their lives are at stake. As old wounds and memories re-surface, Shay and Adriana attempt to unmask the threat before the night is over, but soon learn that Scream Hunt is not done with them just yet…

My young adult horror thriller is out now! I hope you enjoy!

Scream Hunt is available here!

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Spoiler-Free Review of “Wrong Turn” 2021: Chilling Redemption for the Franchise

**This is a spoiler-free review so feel free to read on!**

“Strangers don’t get to leave…”

Wrong Turn 2021 was originally released back in January 2021. The film is currently available to stream on Showtime. The reboot is the seventh entry to the franchise.

Wrong Turn (2021) stars Charlotte Vega, Adain Bradley, Matthew Modine, Emma Dupont and Bill Sage. The film runs for approximately an hour and fifty minutes.

A group of friends set off to hike the Appalachian Trail in unfamiliar territory as they quickly learn the dangers of straying off the path.

Here is the trailer:

Wrong Turn 2021 could have easily gotten lost in the shuffle of the six prior movies, but it does attempt to present us with something new and different. Does the reboot deserve a watch? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

Images courtesy of Showtime

Characters worth your time.

While some of the characters left a lot to be desired, others really stood out and proved their worth as we approached the second half of the film. As the audience, you genuinely feel sympathy for the characters and root for certain ones against all odds.

It’s difficult to achieve this in these types of movies so I was impressed with the believable performances and layered characters. This was a nice touch and helped elevate the film above the other entries…although the original film will always be iconic for me.

Images courtesy of Showtime

Unsettling and disturbing reveals…

I thought I knew what I was going to get with this film and it really did surprise me in a good way. The film took several unexpected turns and attempted to channel some folk horror as well, which I thought was a bold choice.

While the original film really captured the thrilling run for your life premise, the other films fell flat and just tried to repeat what we had already seen before. This film is completely aware of that and knows the audience is as well, so I thought it was a smart choice for it to go off in a different direction for the reboot, creating a new kind of fear along the way.

Brutal kills.

Like, really brutal! I had to turn away a few times because the kills were extremely violent in this film. If you are here for lots of gore, you will not be disappointed. The horror we witness is terrifying on a whole new level.

The Cons:

Images courtesy of Showtime

Attempts to do a lot…

This film jams a lot into two hours. While some of it translated really well and completely shocked me, other moments didn’t really add up for me. The writers were stretching a lot and creating a dialogue, which is a good thing, but sometimes less is more and this film was slightly short of pure perfection for me because it attempted to do a little too much.

So am I in or out?

Images courtesy of Showtime

I’m in!

While the original film of the franchise is still my favorite, the reboot really made a valiant effort to provide us with a terrifying entry that truly shocked me and kept me on the edge of my seat. I was completely invested from start to finish and I think this film successfully created something unique for the audience. It felt like more of a standalone film and I didn’t see many connections with the other movies, but I still enjoyed it just the same.

I honestly loved this movie and I highly recommend for horror fans to give it a chance.

I hope you enjoyed the review and feel free to post your own thoughts and theories on Wrong Turn (2021) in the comments section below. Thanks so much for reading and happy viewing!

PLAY BY THE RULES…STAY ALIVE…

A harmless night of fun turns deadly for six college friends but the game has only just begun. Take a mystery thrill ride right from your own living room. Dash and Seek is out now!

Play if you dare…

Dash and Seek is available here!

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