Going into Heart Eyes, there was worry that it would be like the ridiculously stupid Thanksgiving from 2023. This was sad because Eli Roth is on point. However, Heart Eyes is not a repeat of Thanksgiving.
Directed by Josh Ruben (Scare Me 2020, Werewolves Within 2021), Heart Eyes arrived in theaters on February 7, 2025, for Screen Gems. Just prior to Valentine’s Day, it stars Olivia Holt ( Cloak & Dagger series, Gnome Alone 2018) as Ally McCabe, Mason Gooding (Scream 2022, Scream VI 2023) as Jay Simmons, Gigi Zumbado (Bridge and Tunnel series, The Rookie series) as Monica, Ally’s friend, Michaela Watkins (Enough Said 2013, Sword of Trust 2019) as Crystal Cane, Ally, Jay and Monica’s boss, along with Devon Sawa (Casper 1995, Final Destination 2000), among others.
For the past several years, the ‘Heart Eyes Killer’ has wreaked havoc on Valentine’s Day by stalking and murdering romantic couples. This Valentine’s Day, no couple is safe.
So, Heart Eyes is a Horror Rom-Com smartly written by Phillip Murphy (Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard 2021), Christopher Landon (Happy Death Day 2017, Freaky 2020), and Michael Kennedy (Freaky 2020, It’s a Wonderful Knife 2023). They are the true drivers of the movie. Yes, Ruben directed, but if the story is not good, no amount of directing would save a project.
Are there shades of other love-themed horror movies? Yes. When you the Heart Eyes Killer’s mask, you will be drawn to 1981’s My Bloody Valentine. Specifically, 1996’s Scream and 1993’s Sleepless in Seattle, like 1980’s Friday the 13th, come to mind. Let us look at these connections.
A weak connection to Scream is Mason Gooding, who plays Jay and also appeared in the Scream trilogy. Furthermore, Heart Eyes Killer is inspired by Jason Voorhees, which can be seen not so much in appearance but in how he stalks in a manner of speaking. Finally, the ending pokes fun at the idea of every horror movie needing a sequel set-up. Whether this pans out or if it is just a wink, wink… we will have to see. A fun fact is Heart Eyes is a Horror/Rom-Com fusion inspired by Sleepless in Seattle.
Other connections are that Heart Eyes is part of a history of Valentine’s Day slashers like the aforementioned My Bloody Valentine, 2000’s Lover’s Lane, and 2001’s Valentine. The movie’s self-awareness comes from its writers, who also wrote films like Happy Death Day and Freaky. Knowing that, it is no wonder the movie got its cuteness. Yes, you can put cute in a Horror movie.
Happy Death Day and Freaky were endearing, with performances from leads Jessica Rothe and how Kathryn Newton and Vince Vaughn play off each other in a riff on the 2003 Comedy Freaky Friday. Such is the case with Heart Eyes’s Olivia Holt and Mason Gooding, whose chemistry’s sweet, as our couple with the Heart Eyes Killer on their tail. There is an ’80s and ’90s vibe to the kills, but with 2024 sensibilities.
Thus far, Heart Eyes has done pretty well with general audiences. So, what about doing it at the same time, say, next year? Ruben says he would like to explore what classic Rom-Coms like 2001’s Bridget Jones’s Diary or 2003’s Love Actually would be like with a serial killer in the background. Continuing, he said he would like to make a musical slasher, and this brings to mind 2008’s Repo! The Genetic Opera. Olivia Holt is game for a sequel, and as mentioned above, the end leaves the door open for a sequel.
In the end, if you are looking for a fun, twisted riff on the Rom-Com, you cannot go wrong with Heart Eyes, which is why Cryptic Rock gives 5 out of 5 stars.
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