Is ‘Heart Eyes’ worth seeing this Valentine’s Day
Marketed as a campy Valentine’s Day themed horror-comedy, is ‘Heart Eyes’ worth your time?
“Heart Eyes” is an American horror-comedy starring Olivia Holt as Ally, a struggling jewelry marketer, and Mason Gooding as Jay Simmons, a successful freelance marketer brought in to fix Ally’s mistakes. The plot centers around a Valentine’s Day-themed serial killer, nicknamed the Heart Eyes Killer, who goes on a violent killing spree every Valentine’s Day, leaving a trail of carnage as they target and kill couples, as well as anyone who gets in their way.
“Heart Eyes” was created by many of the same people responsible for the Scream movies, and stars “Scream Five” and “Scream Six” actor Mason Gooding. These influences are apparent in “Heart Eyes”, which makes fun of horror tropes and heavily plays into some of the absurdities of slasher horror. Far from being a traditional horror film, “Heart Eyes” acts more as a romantic comedy that just happens to have a masked killer trying to slaughter the potential couple. Its excellent opening kill scene is immediately followed up by what could easily pass as a normal rom-com if you walked into the theater ten minutes late, and it drags out the exaggerated romance until plunging back into horror right when you least expect it.
The dual horror-comedy aspects of “Heart Eyes” are each executed well, managing to mesh tremendously. The movie never feels alienated from itself. Often, movies of this type feel like two different movies cut together, leaving you wondering how characters find humor amidst horrific bloodshed. But “Heart Eyes” manages to incorporate its comedy aspects smoothly with the horror without falling into “Scary Movie” levels of parody.
The horror is done well, blending fake-outs, jump-scares, and suspense in a way that rarely feels cheap. While it’s not the scariest movie this year, the kill scenes and acting sell the horror well. The design and behavior of the Heart Eyes Killer are exceptional as well; the mask, costuming, and weaponry are all perfect for this character. The acting and choreography for the Heart Eyes Killer are exceptional as well. They feel like an unstoppable force, even with the main characters fighting back with everything they have. No matter what they do, it seems like the killer simply cannot be stopped.
The comedy also excels, with a mix of spoken jokes and visual gags that can make you laugh without suffocating you in a smog of unnecessary jokes during scenes that are better left serious. “Heart Eyes” was directed by Josh Ruben, a former writer on CollegeHumor, now known as Dropout, a sketch comedy company, and this is evident in the comedy of “Heart Eyes”. Anyone who’s a fan of CollegeHumor’s comedy sketches is likely to enjoy the style of comedy utilized by “Heart Eyes”.
“Heart Eyes” is not flawless, however. On occasion, the dialogue feels unrealistic, and the movie sometimes leans too hard into campiness. The most notable issue with this movie is its ending, with an uninteresting and predictable twist that taints what came before it. The movie would be significantly better if the last 20-30 minutes were rewritten, using the same locations and concepts, but changing some aspects of the plot. However, the movie concludes on a high note, with a great epilogue, meaning that you won’t leave entirely unsatisfied by its finale.
Overall, “Heart Eyes” is a solid film. While it won’t redefine horror, it’s a fun watch and a great movie to see on Valentine’s, whether or not you have someone to see it with.