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Christopher Moss/Screen Gems and Spyglass Media Group

Feb 19, 2025 By Daniel Rester Web Exclusive

A masked killer is out to slay couples on Valentine’s Day in Heart Eyes, a slasher-romantic comedy hybrid from director Josh Ruben. Ruben slightly steps up his game after directing the amusing but mostly mediocre horror/comedies Scare Me (2020) and Werewolves Within (2021). Ruben’s latest likely won’t become a holiday slasher classic, but it’s a fun bit of genre escapism.

Olivia Holt stars as Ally, a designer at a jewelry company in Seattle. Her latest ad campaign—involving doomed couples—backfires which puts her at risk of losing her job. A famous designer named Jay Simmons (Mason Gooding) is brought in to assist Ally with new ideas. The two meet up over dinner on Valentine’s Day in order to discuss work. Unfortunately for Ally and Jay, the “Heart Eyes Killer” mistakes them for a couple and comes after them.

Heart Eyes opens with a bang as it skewers the phoniness of engagement photo sessions. These opening minutes are both hilarious and brutal. While the rest of the film has entertaining scenes, Heart Eyes peaks early with this sequence.

Ruben’s film works better as a slasher than as a romantic comedy. The kills are gory and occasionally creative, and the murderer has a cool mask (which includes pink night vision). The eventual antagonist reveal is lame, but up to that point, the horror boxes are checked off in a satisfying manner.

While Holt and Gooding are both charming in Heart Eyes, their romantic chemistry never quite rings true. The supporting characters around them often feel like caricatures as well, while some of the script’s humorous lines land with a thud. Ruben’s film has a few smart moments when nodding to romantic tropes (including showing a classic at a drive-in theater), but the tone bounces around unevenly between sincerity and parody.

Heart Eyes is no steak dinner on V-Day, but rather an enjoyable little piece of chocolate. It does deserve bonus points for casting horror veterans Devon Sawa and Jordana Brewster as two detectives though. (www.hearteyes.movie)

Author rating: 6/10