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!

**If you enjoyed this blog, I would love it if you would click the follow button on your way out to subscribe.  Thanks for your support!

Spoiler-Free Review of “Choose or Die” on Netflix: Are you worthy?

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

“You are worthy…”

Choose or Die (CURS>R) premiered on Netflix on April 15th 2022. The horror film stars Iola Evans, Asa Butterfield, Eddie Marsan, and Robert Englund. It runs for approximately an hour and twenty-five minutes.

A coder finds an 80’s retro computer game with an unclaimed prize, but she soon realizes that she is actually playing for her own survival.

Here is the trailer:

Choose or Die has a fun premise with a retro feel, but does the film do enough to earn a watch? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

Images courtesy of Netflix

Killer concept.

Similar to horror films like Stay Alive, Truth or Dare, and Would You Rather, this film takes on a game gone wrong to the extreme. I actually really dug the retro feel and I thought that the opening was really strong. There was an 80’s horror nostalgia present from a familiar voice to some well-placed posters, which made me feel right at home.

Images courtesy of Netflix

Doesn’t hold back in the gore department…

There were actually a lot of moments in this one that had my skin crawling. If you’re looking for gore, you’ll get some here. Most of the games end in some kind of overly bloody and disgusting demise but if gore is not your thing, you may want to steer clear.

The Cons:

Images courtesy of Netflix

Wishy-washy female lead…

I like to have a strong or even a flawed female lead to root for in horror films. She doesn’t have to be a complete bad-ass, but I have to like her. I just couldn’t connect to this main character at all. I just watched this film and her name already escapes me because she was just kind of bland.

Killer concept, but fails in the execution.

I was really looking forward to this movie and I was disappointed by the time I got to the end. The movie isn’t bad. It’s short enough to hold your interest but I wasn’t really a fan of the ending and once things were fully explained, I think the film tried to do a little too much. Sometimes less is more…

So am I in or out?

Images courtesy of Netflix

I’m 50/50 on this one…

I loved the concept and the 80’s nostalgia, but the film fell flat for me in a lot of ways, which was really disappointing. If you have nothing else to watch this weekend, you can give it a whirl but you’re better off re-watching Stay Alive instead.

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

Best,

Amy Koto, TV Fanatic Girl

DON’T TAKE THE JOB…

Girl Number Thirteen Lurking Promo

It was only supposed to be temporary…but when Olivia Crewe accepts a new position that seems too good to be true, she soon discovers that twelve other girls previously had the same job as her. Only none of them lasted for more than thirty days. No notice. Nothing…right before they mysteriously disappeared without a trace.

My new supernatural thriller Girl Number Thirteen is out now! I hope you enjoy!

Girl Number Thirteen is available here!

**If you enjoyed this blog, I would love it if you would click the follow button on your way out to subscribe.  Thanks for your support!

Spoiler-Free Review of “American Horror Stories” Game Over on FX on Hulu: Made for the Fans

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

“I just want to feel the energy of the house…”

American Horror Stories released its seventh episode, “Game Over” on August 19th 2021. The season finale is available to watch on FX on Hulu. Episode seven stars Dylan McDermott, Sierra McCormick, Kaia Gerber, Mercedes Mason, Paris Jackson and Tom Lenk. The episode runs for approximately 54 minutes.

A couple prepares to spend the night in the infamous Murder House, accepting an escape the house challenge, but they quickly learn that the horror is all too real.

American Horror Stories: Game Over returns to Murder House once again as we witness the conclusion of the first season of the spin-off anthology series. Does it do enough to keep us coming back for more? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

Images courtesy of FX on Hulu

Epic guest stars.

I’m always excited when Dylan McDermott shows up on AHS. He is from the first season and it only makes sense for someone to bump into him eventually at Murder House. It was really fun seeing a lot of familiar faces in this episode, giving us a sense of nostalgia.

Made for the fans.

I thought that this episode felt like a tribute to the fans in a lot of ways. The couple goes into the Murder House because they are American Horror fanatics. I thought this was a clever way to bring something new to the table while also giving us a chance to celebrate the anthology series we have come to know and love over the years.

The Cons:

Images courtesy of FX on Hulu

Somewhat predictable ending…

I thought the initial reveal was a lot of fun, but as the episode continued I guessed exactly what was going to happen. The reveal was almost too obvious for me even though it was still a lot of fun. I also thought that this episode felt watered down in a lot of ways. We spent three episodes of the spin-off series devoted to Murder House and I guess I wanted something with a little more edge, but it was certainly a different take on things.

So am I in or out?

Images courtesy of FX on Hulu

I’m in!

The episode was a lot of fun and it gave me a Stay Alive vibe, which was entertaining. I didn’t think this episode was particularly scary in any way, but it allowed us to continue the story from earlier this season while introducing new elements to change things up.

I’m excited that American Horror Stories has been confirmed for a second season. While some episodes were stronger than others, this was an entertaining watch for me and I’m even more excited to watch American Horror Story: Double Feature now, which premieres on August 25th 2021!

I hope you enjoyed the review and feel free to post your own thoughts and theories on American Horror Stories 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 new young adult horror thriller comes out October 7th 2021! I hope you enjoy!

Scream Hunt is available here!

**If you enjoyed this blog, I would love it if you would click the follow button on your way out to subscribe.  Thanks for your support!