What Is Tarot About?
The premise of Tarot in 291 words, with nothing given away. The full story follows below.
In a quiet corner of a bustling city, Julie and Tristan are busy weaving the final threads of their dream wedding. Their love, bright and earnest, is matched by a shared curiosity for the mysteries that linger just beyond the everyday. When a spontaneous invitation arrives to visit a well‑known tarot reader, the couple sees a playful diversion—a chance to glimpse the whimsical side of fate before saying “I do.”
The reading, however, quickly turns from lighthearted amusement to something far more unsettling. The cards laid before them whisper of shadows and turning points that feel far too personal, casting a dark pall over the joyous plans they’ve been nurturing. The tone shifts to a subtle, almost tactile tension, as the once‑comfortable certainty of their future begins to feel fragile, prompting both Julie and Tristan to confront the unspoken doubts that have lingered beneath their smiles.
Against a backdrop of intimate gatherings, candlelit rooms, and the quiet hum of a city that never truly sleeps, the film balances romance with a lingering sense of unease. The presence of the mysterious reader—enigmatic and composed—adds an atmospheric layer, suggesting that the line between destiny and desire may be more porous than either partner imagined. As the couple grapples with the ominous hints, the story explores how love can be both a sanctuary and a catalyst for confronting deeper fears.
Through moody cinematography and a score that oscillates between hopeful melodies and foreboding notes, Julie and Tristan are drawn into a delicate dance of trust and uncertainty. The narrative invites viewers to wonder whether the future is a fixed script or a story they can rewrite together, all while keeping the promise of a wedding day that might be brighter—or darker—than they ever expected.
What Happens in Tarot?
The complete story of Tarot, from the first scene to the last, in 998 words (about 4 minutes). Spoilers throughout. Names in the text link to 7 cast member pages.
Spoilers ahead
The movie begins outside a provincial mansion nestled in the scenic Catskills, where a group of college friends have gathered to celebrate Elise’s (Larsen Thompson) birthday. The group includes Harriet Slater as Haley, Adain Bradley as Grant, Jacob Batalon as Paxton, Avantika as Paige, Humberly Gonzalez as Madeline, and Wolfgang Novogratz as Lucas. While engaging in a party drinking game, old flames Harriet and Grant hint to their friends that they recently broke up on the drive, suggesting their relationship was heading in separate directions.
During their exploration of the mansion, the friends stumble upon a forbidden room filled with various artifacts. Among these, they discover a mysterious wooden box decorated with a zodiac wheel, which contains a deck of intricately hand-painted tarot cards. The group, driven by curiosity, convinces Haley — who is knowledgeable about tarot — to perform some readings. Despite her intuition sensing something ominous, she begins nonetheless. Her first reading is for Elise, who is given the High Priestess card, and Haley warns her to slow down as she climbs a ladder in her vision. Madeline receives The Hanged Man, which hints that her Pisces nature often makes her avoid danger. Paige draws The Magician, with a prophecy of upcoming change, while Lucas gets The Hermit, which suggests he will encounter great wealth and possible love, especially hinting at a romantic interest with Madeline.
Boy William, as Tristan Slug, is not listed in the cast, so his involvement isn’t detailed here.
Haley’s own reading reveals Death, leading her to remark that “love will be the death of me.” As the readings progress, unsettling images flash across their minds, signaling the reawakening of an ancient evil buried long ago. Their curiosity leads them to leave the mansion and return to campus, but not without consequences. Along the way, Lucas stops at a gas station and unexpectedly wins $700 from a scratch card, adding a strange stroke of luck to the ominous day.
Once back home, strange occurrences escalate. Paige and Elise are shown in a tender moment over the phone, but Elise soon hears odd noises from her attic. The ladder suddenly descends, and when she investigates, she witnesses shadows moving and candles flickering eerily around her. She glimpses a monstrous apparition resembling the High Priestess card, which horrifyingly causes her to fall from the ladder — and then she is violently crushed under a descending ladder that impales her.
The group mourns Elise, especially Paige, as Haley tries to comfort her, sharing her personal connection to tarot readings that she originally turned to during her mother’s illness. Haley confesses she once sought only positive predictions but was met with messages of death each time. Meanwhile, Lucas walks Madeline home, and although their tarot readings hinted at potential romance, they just share a meaningful hug before he departs. Later, Lucas is haunted by The Hermit spirit, which stalks him around a subway station, leading him into a restricted rail yard where the spirit corners him in an abandoned train. Terrorized, Lucas escapes but is ultimately struck and killed by an oncoming train.
Haunted by the tragic deaths of Elise and Lucas, Haley uncovers that their fates might be linked to the troubling tarot deck. She seeks out Alma Fouere, a scholar with knowledge about the cursed cards, who reveals the chilling history behind them. Alma explains that the deck originated in the 1700s when a wealthy Count summoned an astrologer — Suncica Milanovic — to diagnose his ill wife and child. Instead, the astrologer’s readings foretold their deaths, which fueled her wrath. She cursed the deck with her spirit after her own tragic death, vowing that anyone who used the cards would meet a similar end. Alma warns the teens to find and destroy the deck to break the curse.
Determined to end the terror, the friends return to the mansion to locate and burn the deck. However, the cards stubbornly resist destruction. Alma joins them for a seance intended to communicate with the astrologer’s spirit. During the séance, the spirit manifests as the Six of Swords, and Alma suddenly dies, pierced by six swords. The remaining friends face the horrifying realization that the curse is still active.
Paige rebooks the mansion and leads the group back to destroy the deck forever. On their way, the ominous prophecies seem to accelerate. Grant’s car sputters and stalls as Adain Bradley portrays his character’s dread — his card reading suggested he would come through unexpectedly, which indeed proves true as he fights for survival. Meanwhile, Madeline, forewarned by her card’s warning to avoid danger, runs in fear during a tense bridge scene and is hung in a chilling display of the deck’s power.
Back at the mansion, the friends attempt a final ritual. Alma’s spirit appears again, and Haley does the Astrologer’s reading once more, hoping to reverse the curse. She draws the Death card in her own reading but uses it as a symbol of her release from grief over her mother’s passing, urging the spirit to let go of its pain. The ritual succeeds as Alma’s spirit is destroyed, along with the cursed cards, which ignite and turn to ash. A symbolic scene shows the Astrologer reuniting with her daughter in the afterlife, signifying the curse’s end.
In the closing moments, Haley and Shandy Aulia as Julie, walk away from the mansion hand in hand. They witness an approaching car, fearing spirits might still linger, but it’s revealed to be Paxton, alive and surprisingly unscathed. He recounts that his roommate accidentally saved him by opening the elevator door, causing The Fool to vanish. With the curse lifted, the friends reflect on how their fates can be altered and challenge the idea of inevitability — culminating in Haley’s defiant statement, “Fuck fate.”
This story is a haunting journey into the dangerous power of the tarot deck, the dark history embedded within it, and the possibility of rewriting one’s destiny by confronting and overcoming ancient evil curses.
Tarot Timeline: Every Key Event in Order
10 key events in the order they happen, from “Friends Gather at the Mansion” to “Escape and Resolution”. 10 events name a place, across 8 locations.
- 1
Friends Gather at the Mansion
A group of college friends rent a mansion in the Catskills to celebrate Elise’s birthday. During a drinking game, Haley and Grant reveal they have broken up, hinting at their diverging futures. The group explores the house, setting the scene for mysterious events to come.
Where:Mansion in the Catskills
- 2
Discovery of the Artifacts and Tarot Deck
While searching for more drinks, the friends find a restricted room filled with artifacts, including a wooden box with a zodiac wheel and a deck of hand-painted tarot cards. Haley agrees to do tarot readings for her friends, despite sensing danger.
Where:Restricted room in the mansion
- 3
Tarot Readings and Predictions
Haley conducts tarot readings for each friend, giving ominous predictions. Elise is warned to slow down, Madeline tends to run from danger, and Lucas is told he will find wealth and love. The readings foreshadow future events, with Haley predicting love’s death for herself.
Where:Mansion
- 4
Ancient Evil Reawakens
Following the tarot readings, a series of images depict an ancient evil reawakening, hinting at the curse linked to the cards. The friends leave the mansion feeling uneasy but unaware of the deadly consequences.
Where:Outside the mansion
- 5
Elise’s Death
En route home, Elise hears suspicious noises from her attic. Investigating, she encounters a monstrous vision of the High Priestess card and falls from her ladder. The vision crushes her, leading to her death, which corresponded to her tarot reading.
Where:Elise’s home
- 6
Lucas’s Tragic End
Lucas, haunted by The Hermit, is stalked at a subway station before wandering into a restricted railyard. He is frightened into falling onto an oncoming train, fulfilling his tarot prediction of wealth and love but ending in tragedy.
Where:Subway station and railyard
- 7
Research and Discovery of the Curse
Haley researches the deaths and learns about Alma Astrom, who explains the origin of the cursed tarot deck. The cards, linked to a vengeful Astrologer from the 1700s, are responsible for the deaths of all who used them, and Alma warns they must be destroyed.
Where:Alma’s location
- 8
Revisiting the Mansion to Destroy the Deck
The friends go back to the mansion to burn the tarot deck, but find it cannot be destroyed by fire. Alma arrives and performs a seance, attempting to contact the Astrologer’s spirit, which results in Alma’s death and deepens the curse's grasp.
Where:Mansion
- 9
Confrontation and Final Ritual
Haley conducts the Astrologer’s reading to break the curse, choosing to confront her grief and the curse’s origin. The spirit is destroyed in a climactic ritual, and the remaining cards burn in the fire, ending the curse.
Where:Mansion
- 10
Escape and Resolution
As the curse lifts, Haley and Grant escape the mansion, and surprise appears as Paxton, alive, returns unharmed. They reflect on their fate, rejecting destiny, and move forward together, freed from the curse’s grip.
Where:Mansion and surrounding area
Who Are the Main Characters in Tarot?
7 characters, among them Haley (Harriet Slater), Grant (Adain Bradley) and Paxton (Jacob Batalon): who each one is and the part they play in the story.
- H(
Haley (Harriet Slater)
A college student with a deep connection to her mother’s illness and death, Haley is insightful and cautious. Her journey reflects her struggle with grief and her growing understanding of fate’s influence, ultimately seeking to break the curse.
- 🧙♀️ Empath
- 🃏 Leader
- 💔 Grief
- G(
Grant (Adain Bradley)
Initially reluctant, Grant is protective and determined to find a solution. His connection with Haley develops as they face supernatural threats, showing his resilience and loyalty as he tries to defend his friends.
- 🛡️ Protector
- 🤝 Loyal
- 🌪️ Courageous
- P(
Paxton (Jacob Batalon)
Known for his humorous and carefree attitude, Paxton surprises everyone with bravery. His luck changes when he unexpectedly survives a deadly encounter, emphasizing themes of hope and redemption.
- 😂 Funny
- 🍀 Lucky
- 🤞 Optimist
- E(
Elise (Larsen Thompson)
A close friend of the group, Elise’s curiosity and bravery lead her to investigate the mansion’s dark history. Her tragic death symbolizes the dangerous repercussions of defying supernatural warnings.
- 🧪 Curious
- 👩🦱 Brave
- ⚠️ Caution
- M(
Madeline (Humberly Gonzalez)
A thoughtful and intuitive character, Madeline’s reading warns her about danger, yet she acts against it, leading to her demise. Her fate underscores the importance of heeding supernatural warnings.
- 🌊 Intuitive
- 🧍♀️ Vulnerable
- ⚠️ Warning
- L(
Lucas (Wolfgang Novogratz)
A charming and hopeful individual, Lucas’s readings suggest future prosperity and love. His tragic end after being haunted reflects themes of inevitability and the cost of ignoring warnings.
- 💖 Hopeful
- 🌟 Dreamer
- 🕵️♂️ Haunted
- AA
Alma Astrom (Olwen Fouere)
An expert in supernatural curses with a tragic past, Alma becomes the group's guide. Her knowledge of the cursed tarot deck connects her to the historical origins of the sinister artifacts.
- 📜 Historian
- 🔮 Mystic
- 🖤 Survivor
Where and When Is Tarot Set?
Tarot is set in Catskills and Campus (Contemporary). Here is why the time and place matter to the story.
When
Contemporary
The events take place in the present day, reflecting modern college life and current-day supernatural beliefs. The story spans a few days, encompassing the teenagers' initial gathering, the investigation, and the final confrontation with the cursed tarot deck.
Where
Catskills, Campus
The movie is set primarily in the Catskills, known for its picturesque mountains and wooded areas, which provide a secluded and eerie atmosphere. The college campus offers a typical academic environment, but with the mansion's haunted history adding a supernatural element. The mansion itself is ancient, mysterious, and connected to dark traditions.
- 🏞️ Nature
- 🎓 College
- 🏚️ Haunted House
What Are the Themes of Tarot?
3 ideas the story keeps returning to, among them Fate and Free Will, Death and Damnation and Supernatural Reckoning.
-
01
Fate and Free Will
The movie explores how destiny can be manipulated by supernatural forces, with characters initially believing they are powerless against their readings. Ultimately, they realize that their choices can alter their fates, highlighting the importance of agency and the danger of believing in inevitability.
-
02
Death and Damnation
The core theme revolves around death resulting from a cursed object and the destructive power of grief, guilt, and superstition. The tarot deck links spiritual curses to real mortality, emphasizing the thin boundary between life and death dictated by unseen forces.
-
03
Supernatural Reckoning
Supernatural elements are central, with spirits, curses, and mystical artifacts driving the plot. The haunted tarot cards serve as a conduit for ancestral and ancient evil, illustrating how unresolved past injustices can spill into the present with fatal consequences.
What Kind of Film Is Tarot?
Dark in tone, with fast pacing and a straightforward story, going by the plot summary.
- Tone
- Dark
- Pacing
- Fast
- Story
- Straightforward
- Intensity
- High
- Ending
- Bittersweet
A fast-paced and intense supernatural horror film that plunges a group of friends into a deadly race against a cursed tarot deck, creating a consistently ominous and anxiety-inducing atmosphere as they face gruesome fates.
- ominous
- anxious
- foreboding
- gripping
- dark
- horrifying
- supernatural curse
- fate vs free will
- friendship and survival
- grief and loss
Content notes: gruesome death, supernatural horror, psychological torment.
Quiz
How well do you remember Tarot? Test yourself on the story.
