“Heart Eyes” (2025) is a HorRomCom and the first slasher of 2025. For three years, a national serial killer dubbed the Heart Eyes Killer (“HEK”) has been slaughtering couples on Valentine’s Day in different locations. Unfortunately for Ally McCabe (Olivia Holt), HEK has touched down in Seattle along with Jay Simmons (Mason Gooding), an eligible bachelor openly interested in her. Will they be able to stop the killer so they can become a couple without worrying about getting killed?
Ally is a no-nonsense career girl on the outs with her boss, Crystal Cane (Michaela Watkins), for designing a jewelry ad campaign that is tone deaf considering the mounting body count left in the wake of HEK, including a Boston killing spree and the film never reveals the reasoning behind the location choices. Her coworker and best friend, Monica (Gigi Zumbado), defends her, but also is rooting for Ally to have more than professional success. Cue Jay, an attractive freelancer, hired to rescue the day. They must work on the ad campaign, and because it is a movie, he can get dinner reservations at a high-end restaurant even though it is Valentine’s Day. Naturally HEK spots them and figures out before they do that they would make a good match then tries to kill them. Someone takes their job as Cupid a little too seriously. It is a simple plot and a race against time: will they fall in love or get killed first? Another option: the police, Detective Jeanine Shaw (Jordana Brewster) or Detective Zeke Hobbs (Devon Sawa), will catch HEK. Yes, the detectives’ names are a deliberate reference to the “Fast and Furious” franchise.
“Heart Eyes” is an entertaining, funny and gruesome movie that blends its genres without sacrificing laughs, scares or romance. The writers Phillip Murphy, Christopher Landon and Michael Kennedy, should be proud of themselves for making a movie that takes its story seriously, but not themselves. It is only Murphy’s second time at bat with Landon as the most experienced horror writer of the bunch with most of the “Paranormal Activity” franchise films under his belt. Based on their resumes, Kennedy collaborated with Landon for the first time with “Freaky” (2020), but he also has a solo following with “It’s a Wonderful Knife” (2023). Most movies would isolate the genre and make moviegoers feel the switch in gears as it jumped around—looking at you, “Love Hurts” (2025). Their script reflects a respect and love for each genre missing in films just trying to execute one. There is also a lovely reference to a classic remarriage comedy, “His Girl Friday” (1940), which will hopefully inspire young moviegoers to check out an old movie. Too many cooks do not spoil the broth.
Scream King Gooding is becoming a horror staple: the “Scream” franchise, “Y2K” (2024) and now “Heart Eyes.” As the “beautiful melanin man,” Gooding strikes a dapper pose as the mysterious and charming leading man who is metaphorically and literally knocked out whenever he is around Ally. Even though he holds his own, he is just regular enough to be daunted at the threat. While Jay is a bit too much of a blank slate with little to no background, Gooding fills in the gaps with vibes and looks to keep everyone rooting for him to get the girl and stay alive, which is a tall order considering that they met at work and his behavior could be off-putting in the hands of a lesser actor and filmmakers.
Ally is not as convinced as Jay that they would make a good team. If Holt seems vaguely familiar, you may know her from the two-season Marvel Cinematic Universe television series “Cloak & Dagger.” She was Dagger and could have used some of her characters abilities to fend off HEK. Even though Jay is willing to punch the killer in the face, Ally gets more licks in without any concussions. Better together, she cannot stop thinking about Jay so even when she runs and hide, she keeps checking up on him until she decides that she would do better than anyone protecting him. Even though her fear that all love ends in death and sorrow, and HEK is proving her right, her growing determination to save Jay is not just about getting a man but healing her younger self despite past trauma. It is actually a poignant message about reclaiming her shattered life without any villains to blame for the past. By the end, she is able to dream again and become the woman that she wanted to be when she was a child.
There is something special about an irreverent holiday movie that takes conventional romantic situations then skewers them. The extended drive-in sequence, which is not the denouement, is hilarious and terrifying for what it does and does not do. The killer is not even a little concerned about hunting in a crowd even though the chance of being identified or overpowered is a strong possibility. People’s reactions are part of the absurd fun. The sound department needs to call Christopher Nolan, sit him down and explain the joys of making dialogue clear even when more than one person is talking. The earnest dialogue in the foreground contrasted with the bawdy background dialogue dilutes the saccharine inevitable trope of declarations of love with more practical, physical delights. And just when the horror seems to be forgotten, graphic buckets of blood and gore come along to reset the atmosphere.
It is also nice to have a fairly unpredictable killer. Even though HEK allegedly only kills couples, their actions seem to indicate otherwise. Just being in proximity to a couple is enough to become a target. While HEK has preferred tools, HEK also does not mind improv and using local, fresh available tools whether in a vineyard or a police precinct. While the denouement, which reveals the killer’s identity is a little heavy-handed in a James Bond villain monologuing sort of way and the most predictable part of “Heart Eyes,” the movie garnered so much favor that it was still a decent landing even if it does not exactly measure up to the earlier set ups. There is an impressive St. Valentine’s Day reference and impression that is worth the price of admission and takes its time to get there.
While it is no “Strange Darling” (2024), which is a good thing narratively, but big shoes to fill visually, director Josh Ruben still made a pretty movie from the picturesque opening sequence to the rosy and purple toned restaurant with paintings that resembled blood splatter. Ruben translates words on the page to a complex orchestra of images on screen, which he makes look easy, but is hard. It could have fallen apart since showdowns on a carousel or in a police precinct can feel overdone, but the film never feels tropey.
The casting team was very committed to diversity. Most of the couples were interracial. Some were same sex. Even though “Heart Eyes” is set in Seattle, the land of Rachel Dolezal, it was filmed in New Zealand so if they did not put in the effort, it would have been understandable. If they can do it, what excuse do more metropolitan regions have? None. Zumbado, who is a Cuban American actor, has an accent, which should not be a big deal, but it is, especially since her punch lines never make fun of her. It is revolutionary to be unapologetically yourself without bending over backwards to argue that a person has a right to exist.
Sometimes it is nice to go to the movies, get more than what you expected, enjoy it and never think about it again. “Heart Eyes” is the kind of movie that has something for everyone except the kids. Don’t bring children. Get a jump on Valentine’s Day and go see this screamance. There is a post credits scene.
