Tarot (2024 South Korean film)

2024 film by Choi Byung-gil

Not to be confused with Tarot (2024 American film).

Tarot

Theatrical release poster

Directed by| Choi Byung-Gil (Ashbun)
Screenplay by| Kyung Min Sun
Starring|

* Cho Yeo-jeong
* Dex (Kim Jin-young)
* Ko Kyu-pil

Production
companies

* Next Entertainment World
* Studio X+U
* Woosang Film
* Studio Changchang

Distributed by| CJ CGV

Release date

* June 14, 2024 (2024-06-14)

Running time

| 94 minutes
Country| South Korea
Language| Korean
Box office| $92,700[1]

Tarot (Korean: 타로) is a 2024 South Korean horror anthology drama mystery film[2] written by Kyung Min Sun directed by Ashbun. It stars Cho Yeo-jeong, Park Ha-sun, Dex (Kim Jin-young), Ko Kyu-pil and Seo Ji-hoon. The film is about a story of people who being trapped in the curse of tarot cards twisted by a moment's choice.[3] The film is a combination of the three short stories in Tarot TV series.[4][5]

## Plot

[edit]

### Santa's Visit

[edit]

Ji-woo, a single mother, is compelled to work a night shift at a convenience store on Christmas Eve, leaving her young daughter alone at home. Before departing, she discovers the Wheel of Fortune tarot card, symbolizing change and destiny.

As the night progresses, Ji-woo receives unsettling messages and video calls from her daughter, who reports hearing noises and seeing shadows moving in the house. The situation escalates when Ji-woo witnesses, through a video call, a shadowy figure lurking behind her daughter.

Desperate, Ji-woo rushes home, only to find the house in disarray and her daughter missing. Clues lead her to the attic, where she confronts a monstrous entity resembling a twisted version of Santa Claus, representing the dark side of the holiday spirit. The creature embodies the consequences of neglect and the perversion of joy into horror.

In a climactic struggle, Ji-woo confronts the entity, facing her deepest fears and guilt. She manages to rescue her daughter, but the experience leaves them both traumatized, highlighting the thin line between everyday life and lurking horror.

### Going Home

[edit]

Kyung-rae, a businessman entangled in an extramarital affair, finds himself in a taxi late at night after a heated argument with his mistress. He discovers the Fool tarot card in the taxi, symbolizing new beginnings and naivety.

The taxi ride takes a sinister turn as the driver deviates from the usual route, leading Kyung-rae into a desolate area. The atmosphere becomes increasingly tense, with the driver making cryptic comments and the radio emitting distorted voices.

Paranoia grips Kyung-rae, and he becomes convinced that the driver is a serial killer. In a panic, he attacks and kills the driver, only to realize that the man was innocent. This act sets off a chain of hallucinations and encounters with ghostly apparitions, including his mistress and the taxi driver, who haunt him relentlessly.

As reality blurs, Kyung-rae is forced to confront his guilt and the consequences of his actions. The Fool card's symbolism plays out as his reckless decisions lead him into a descent of madness, questioning the nature of reality and morality.

### Please Throw It Away

[edit]

Dong-in, a seasoned delivery driver, stumbles upon the High Priestess tarot card during a routine delivery. The card, representing intuition and hidden knowledge, marks the beginning of a series of bizarre and terrifying events.

Dong-in starts experiencing time loops, delivering packages to the same address repeatedly, each time encountering increasingly disturbing scenarios. The recipient, a woman with an unsettling demeanor, hints at knowing personal details about Dong-in's life, blurring the lines between customer and predator.

As the deliveries continue, Dong-in's reality unravels. He witnesses grotesque transformations, with the woman morphing into a monstrous entity. The environment becomes hostile, with inanimate objects moving on their own and the walls bleeding.

In a desperate attempt to escape the cycle, Dong-in tries to discard the High Priestess card, only to find it reappearing in his possession. The narrative culminates in a harrowing confrontation where Dong-in must face the embodiment of his suppressed fears and desires, questioning his own identity and sanity.

## Cast

[edit]

* Cho Yeo-jeong as Ji-woo[6]
* Park Ha-sun
* Dex (Kim Jin-young) as Dong-in[7][unreliable source?]
* Ko Kyu-pil as Kyung-rae
* Seo Ji-hoon as Jae-yoon
* Lee Joo-bin as Ji-oh
* Lee Moon-sik as a taxi driver
* Hahm Eun-jung as Eun-mi
* Kim Sung-tae as Min-chan

## Production

[edit]

Tarot is one of the two Korean Series that competed in the short film section at the Canneseries 2024[8] and release as a movie before coming out as a series.[9] On January 16, 2024, production company LG U+ STUDIO announced in South Korean news outlet iMBC that DEX (Kim Jin-young), has been cast in K-drama series, Tarot.[10]

## Release

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CJ CGV first released the Tarot movie on June 14, 2024 while the Tarot TV series was released in July 15, 2024 on U+ Mobile TV.[11][12][13][14]

## Reception

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### Box office

[edit]

The film was sold to several distributors across 25 foreign countries on the eve of the Cannes market. According to Screen International, It was picked up by Taiwan (Long Shong), Mongolia (Filmbridge), Indonesia (PT Prima) and Vietnam (CJ CGV Vietnam).[15][16] It made $92,700 on its first three days finishing ninth place.[17]

### Critical response

[edit]

Jayanty Nada Shofa of Jakarta Globe gave the film a mixed reviews and wrote:

> Each episode usually ends with a brief explanation on a reversed tarot card, which pretty much explains why the characters end up being the way they are. However, "Tarot" still feels like a disjointed work. Bad luck and random tarot cards are not enough to tie the three stories together.[18]

## See also

[edit]

* Tarot (TV series)

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Frater, Patrick (June 16, 2024). "Korea Box Office: 'Inside Out 2' Leaps to Powerful Lead With $12 Million Debut Weekend". Variety. Retrieved August 22, 2024.
2. ^ Sen, Sushmita (July 9, 2024). "Is Tarot (2024) a Korean Movie or a Horror Series?". MSN. Retrieved July 15, 2024.
3. ^ Rosser, Michael (May 14, 2024). "Korean horror thriller 'Tarot' lands sales across Asia (exclusive)". Screen International. Retrieved July 15, 2024.
4. ^ Choi, Yoon-na (June 27, 2024). 조여정X덱스X고규필 '타로: 일곱 장의 이야기', 대본리딩 현장 공개 [Cho Yeo-jeong X Dex X Ko Kyu-pil, 'Tarot: Stories of Seven Cards', script reading site revealed] (in Korean). Sports Dong-a. Retrieved July 12, 2024 - via Naver.
5. ^ Mills, Phil (May 29, 2024). "Teaser: 'Tarot'". Far East Films. Retrieved July 15, 2024.
6. ^ Srinivas, Eshita (July 14, 2024). "Movies and TV shows of bold actress Cho Yeo-jeong to tune into ahead of Tarot". Lifestyle Asia.
7. ^ Turner, Jasmine (January 11, 2024). ""Single's Inferno" Kim Jin Young (Dex) To Become Male Lead In K-Drama — Netizens React". Koreaboo.com. Retrieved July 15, 2024.
8. ^ "Tarot". Canneseries. Retrieved July 15, 2024.
9. ^ Kinori, Christine (June 12, 2024). "Tarot (K-drama) Episodes 1-3 Preview: Release Date, Time & Where To Watch". The Review Geek. Retrieved July 15, 2024.
10. ^ Ziwei, Puah (January 16, 2024). "'Single's Inferno' breakout star DEX cast in upcoming K-drama". NME. Retrieved July 15, 2024.
11. ^ "Is Tarot (2024) a Korean Movie or a Horror Series?". Yahoo! Entertainment. July 8, 2024. Retrieved July 15, 2024.
12. ^ "Tarot (Korean)". ClickTheCity.com. Retrieved July 15, 2024.
13. ^ Lee, Mi-ji (May 13, 2024). 조여정X덱스X고규필 '타로', 시리즈 공개 전 극장서 먼저 만난다..6월 개봉확정(공식) [Cho Yeo-jeong X Dex X Ko Kyu-pil's 'Tarot' will be seen in theaters first before the series is released...Confirmed to be released in June (Official)] (in Korean). Herald Pop. Retrieved July 12, 2024 - via Naver.
14. ^ Park, Sang-hoo (June 12, 2024). 영화·시리즈 흥행 동시 겨냥...묘하게 여름을 여는 '타로'(종합) [Aiming for simultaneous box office success of movies and series...'Tarot' that strangely opens summer (Comprehensive)] (in Korean). JTBC. Retrieved July 12, 2024 - via Naver.
15. ^ Rosser2024-05-14T05:00:00+01:00, Michael. "Korean horror thriller 'Tarot' lands sales across Asia (exclusive)". Screen. Retrieved 2024-11-21.`{{cite web}}`: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
16. ^ 덱스 배우 데뷔작 '타로' 해외 25개국에 선판매 쾌거 [Actor Dex's debut film 'Tarot' pre-sold to 25 countries]. Naver News. Retrieved 2024-11-21.
17. ^ Frater, Patrick (June 16, 2024). "Korea Box Office: 'Inside Out 2' Leaps to Powerful Lead With $12 Million Debut Weekend". Variety. Retrieved August 22, 2024.
18. ^ Shofa, Jayanty Nada (July 3, 2024). "'Tarot' Review: A Disjointed Korean Horror Anthology". Jakarta Globe. Retrieved July 15, 2024.

## External links

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* Tarot at the Korean Movie Database (in Korean) (in Korean)
* Tarot at IMDb
* Tarot at HanCinema