Heart Eyes (2025)

​"Heart Eyes" stars Olivia Holt, Mason Gooding, Gigi Zumbado, Michaela Watkins, Devon Sawa, and Jordana Brewster.  Released on February 7, 2025, the film has two co-workers confronting a serial killer targeting couples on Valentine's Day.

The film is directed by Josh Ruben, who also directed "Scare Me" and "Werewolves Within" and was involved with the subscription streaming service Dropout.  Well, guys, it's officially February once again, and you know what that means.  We're approaching Valentine's Day, a special time of the year when we spend quality time with our special someone or sit around hopelessly wishing for one.  But in this particular case, it's also the holiday when we attempt to keep our relationship alive, especially when a masked killer threatens to make our holiday a living hell.  Around this time, we usually have plenty of romantic options for us to choose from throughout February, movie-wise.  However, 2025 attempts to revamp that tradition by giving us not one but two distinct "romance" films this weekend to spice up our lovey-dovey vibes.  One of those movies is a holiday slasher seeking to bring a lot of bloodshed amid its boy-meets-girl love story and maybe extend the subgenre's winning streak that started with Eli Roth's "Thanksgiving".  Was it able to provide a gory date night to remember, or are we better off staying in instead?  Let's find out.

The story follows two co-workers, Ally (Holt) and Jay (Gooding), who don't see eye-to-eye with each other.  As the two get together for work-related reasons on Valentine's Day, they receive word of a masked killer running amok in their hometown.  Known as the Heart Eyes Killer, the infamous murderer goes around the country every year targeting and killing couples in gruesome ways.  Unfortunately for Ally and Jay, the killer mistakes the two as a couple and pursues them.  The co-workers must now put their trust in one another to escape and put an end to the killer's bloody rampage for good.

I don't watch many romance movies as much as others, probably because of my current situation.  However, when I see one that involves either action, comedy, or even horror, I usually jump on board the love train to see its concept in action.  I may have to deal with the typical corny love-fest as a result, but as long as everything else is properly executed to be entertaining, I won't see it as a massive issue.  Unsurprisingly, "Heart Eyes" is another evidence for this case, as it combines the usual rom-com tropes of an unlikely relationship with a straightforward slasher narrative involving a masked killer with hearts as its eyes.  Considering my experience with past slasher films, including holiday-based ones, this movie seemed to be a solid cure for my romance blues.  But what matters is whether the execution of those cliches delivered enough fun moments to satisfy both sides of the two distinct genres, which it surprisingly does.

"Heart Eyes" offered precisely what you'd expect from the marketing: a rom-com with a bucket full of blood and guts courtesy of the silent but deadly killer.  It's straightforward, understandably cliched, and appropriately short, thanks to its 97-minute runtime.  However, the film also functions as an entertaining and charismatic multi-genre showcase that invigorates the fun of slasher movies and suitably stabs its rom-com tropes in its heart.  I rarely enjoy romance films because of how abundant and disposable their plots can be.  I mean, just look at the Netflix menu and count how many of them it's got in store.  I'll give you a hint: there's a lot of them.  Fortunately, "Heart Eyes" became one of the few occasions where I became convinced that the typical romance genre can be enjoyable if the effort in its concept exists.  

This is due to filmmaker Josh Ruben, who's made a name for himself in the horror comedy genre with only two movies.  Sadly, I didn't watch those films beforehand, but after watching "Heart Eyes", that may change sooner or later, especially when regarding his balance of the two genres.  While it is technically a slasher film, it's more along the lines of another typical romance comedy involving two co-workers struggling to find love due to their pasts.  Ally has it worse as she recently had her heart broken before the film's events, resulting in her losing her faith in romance.  That is until she unexpectedly wound up with Jay due to "circumstances beyond their control".  In a way, the film showcases the protagonists rediscovering what it takes to love and be loved amid the bloodshed and heartbreak.  While the movie can be predictable with its cliches, especially its twist in the third act, the journey toward that message was the sole reason for surpassing most of my expectations.  

With its focus on the romantic comedy side of things rather than the horror aspect, there was some doubt that this may be another situation where horror fans may feel duped by its lack of scares.  Fortunately, that doesn't appear to be the case, as Ruben managed to prove that the rom-com elements can be just as fun as the slasher moments.  The romance between the protagonists was genuinely endearing and charismatically humorous, resulting in them being the most likable duo of the bunch.  Not only that, but the horror and comedy moments worked really well together with the lovey-dovey stuff in between without feeling like a completely different movie.  The slasher parts delivered plenty of decent kills from the Heart Eyes Killer that's neither too gory nor too tame from an entertainment perspective.  It had an appropriate mixture that'll make those with weak stomachs squirm but satisfy enough people who want to see victims get shot by cupid arrows.  As for the humor, it occasionally jabs at the romance cliches in a playful manner, but it's also well-balanced with the genuine charm of the protagonists, resulting in a delightfully humorous outlook of the popular genre that doesn't feel too much like a spoof.

The charm that came from Ally and Jay relied solely on the attractive chemistry between Olivia Holt and Mason Gooding, which was just as entertaining as the film's brutalities.  Olivia Holt is another former Disney star who has made herself known outside the brand through some of her mature roles.  It's pretty crazy how many young actors have come this far in the acting business since working on kid-friendly projects for Disney, with some being more successful than others.  While I haven't seen much of Holt compared to the other former Disney stars, I respect her attempt at reintroducing herself to a new generation unfamiliar with her earlier works.  Her performance as Ally would surely be remembered in terms of Holt's filmography, as she provided a sublime balance of humor and charm amid her "scream queen" vibes.  Mason Gooding was also a satisfying surprise regarding his magnetic and amusing performance as Jay, continuing his consistent run in the horror genre.  Devon Sawa and Jordana Brewster also offered enough decent moments as the two detectives to make their existence worthwhile, whose names serve as a comical reference to the "Fast & Furious" franchise, which also starred Brewster.

Overall, "Heart Eyes" pours a lot of love into its romance-slasher mixture to craft a killer Valentine's Day treat for genre fans.  Unsurprisingly, it's not going to change the way we see cinema due to its hit-and-miss screenplay being riddled with cliches and a predictable twist.  However, It's also another movie that successfully makes its straightforward tropes more fun and endearing than dull and corny.  As a result, the film is another horror experience that's diverting, brutal, and even humorous.  Holt and Gooding are a match made in heaven regarding their magnetic chemistry and performances, and Josh Ruben delivered a rewarding mixture of romance, comedy, and horror without losing the film's intended identity.  For fans of romance and slasher films, it's a surprisingly fun time at the movies that's to die for or worth falling in love with.  Maybe even both?

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