Heart Eyes (2025)

DIRECTED BY

Josh Ruben

STARRING

Olivia Holt - Ally 

Mason Gooding - Jay Simmons 

Gigi Zumbado - Monica

Devon Sawa - Detective Hobbs

Jordana Brewster - Detective Jeanette Shaw

Michaela Watkins - Crystal 

Genre - Horror/Slasher/Comedy/Romance

Running Time - 97 Minutes 

PLOT

When the “Heart Eyes Killer” strikes Seattle, a pair of co-workers pulling overtime on Valentine’s Day are mistaken for a couple by the elusive couple-hunting killer. Now, they must spend the most romantic night of the year running for their lives.

REVIEW

Slasher films about Valentine’s Day have always seemed like a fun and good combination for decades. 1981’s MY BLOODY VALENTINE pretty much started the trend, featuring a memorable killer in Harry Warden in his coal miner’s outfit and pick-axe. It was even brought back in the 2009 3-D remake to similar success. We’ve also had 2001’s VALENTINE with its cherub looking Cupid killer, as well as Hulu’s Into the Dark anthology series that featured two horrific Valentine’s tales to varied success.

It should be no surprise that 2025’s HEART EYES successfully brings both horror and Valentine’s Day together in a fun way. The film would totally fit right in the late-90s/early-00s post-SCREAM nu-slasher revival, while also working as a spoof or satire on romantic comedies with all the tropes and cheese firmly in place. The simple premise pretty much involves the hulking Heart Eyes Killer [or HEK for short] traveling to a different city each year to murder happy couples for reasons unknown to only him or her. HEK arrives in Seattle, only to catch main protagonists Ally and Jay fake a kiss in front of Ally’s ex-boyfriend out of jealousy and mistakenly making them targets for the killer. Romantic tropes, slasher goodness and on-the-nose needle drops ensue.

HEART EYES doesn’t bring anything new to the slasher table, pretty much bringing what MY BLOODY VALENTINE had kind of done for a modern audience. But the film does these old tricks very well, giving you exactly what you would want in a modern slasher. Besides a lack of nudity, the film doesn’t really shy from the violence. While nowhere as gory as something like TERRIFIER, there are some nice gooey death sequences in HEART EYES. People get impaled and slashed by daggers. A victim gets crushed while hiding inside a wine juicer. There’s also crossbow action, as well as a sick looking decapitation that earns the film’s R rating. I thought the effects were handled very well.

Unlike other Valentine’s Day horror, HEART EYES also acts as a sweet rom-com that makes you root for the two leads to get together at the end if they manage to survive the night. Ally and Jay love the same type of coffee, bump heads [literally] at the same time, work in the same profession and manage to understand each other even if Ally [who is still not over a bad breakup] tries to sabotage any chance for love. And when they come together to survive HEK’s rampage, you watch their bond grow and it feels satisfying to watch them fall in love. That’s due to a smart and strong script that fleshes out these two characters, making them very likable and understandable when it comes to their individual perspectives. Add in a supportive and sassy best friend and a sarcastic police department and you have characters you care to watch for 97 minutes.

If I did have a main gripe, it’s probably HEK’s reveal in the final act. I partially got it right, but the entire reveal felt like the writers [mainly HAPPY DEATH DAY’s Christopher Landon] just wanted to be wacky and make up something to shock and surprise people. No one would guess the entire thing correctly since a lot of it was never hinted at or established like in other slasher mysteries, making it seem like an idea that was thrown at the wall to see what would stick. I appreciate how progressive and modern the reveal is and I thought the action during the conclusion was quite good. But the reveal itself didn’t connect with me because it came out of thin air.

The direction by Josh Ruben is energetic and well thought out in terms of set pieces and sound design. The film is never scary and not meant to be, but the romantic comedy aspects are solid and the tone maintains throughout. The Heart Eyes Killer is used very well, having some creepy moments from time to time. I thought their mask having night vision through the heart eyes was a neat touch that I wish more was done with. The death sequences and gore were shot really well. It’s not the most dynamic or memorable film visually, but Ruben did a very good job keeping it all together and maintaining a fun tone that I’ve seen a lot of other filmmakers have trouble with. Maybe it feels too much like the current SCREAM films, but it’s still well made.

What really won me over is the acting. I think both Olivia Holt and Mason Gooding are wonderful as the two leads, Ally and Jay. Holt is adorable, has nice comedic timing, and makes her a cool Final Girl who takes charge when she needs to. Gooding, no stranger to slashers due to his association with the current SCREAM sequels, is extremely charming and funny as hell in terms of his facial expressions and line delivery. Honestly, I think Gooding would make a fantastic romantic lead for a rom-com because he has all the tools to pull it off effortlessly. I also enjoyed the supporting performances by Devon Sawa and Jordana Brewster, playing two very different detectives on the HEK case. With Sawa’s bad-cop named Hobbs and Brewster’s more good-cop named Shaw, that obvious joke does present itself - with Brewster’s no-selling of it making it even funnier. And special mention to Gigi Zumbado as Monica, Ally’s best friend. She’s not in the film as much as I would want her to be, but Zumbado makes every scene she’s in funny and memorable. 

Also, a big shout out on the soundtrack. With songs like “Lonestar” by Amazed, “Please Don’t Go” by KC & the Sunshine Band and “You Can’t Hurry Love” by The Supremes, this film has a solid song list.

THE FINAL HOWL

HEART EYES doesn’t reinvent the slasher wheel, but it’s still a fun time for those looking for a good Valentine’s Day horror film to watch. It also surprisingly works as a cute rom-com, just with a serial killer murdering happy couples [whether they know they’re in one or not]. The story is simple and straightforward, yet clever with an obvious wink-and-nod at certain tropes for both horror and rom-com genres. The script also presents likable characters, including two main characters you can’t help but root for in getting together by the movie’s end. This is helped greatly by the charming performances by both Olivia Holt and Mason Gooding, who share a ton of chemistry and play off each other extremely well. Josh Ruben also handles the gory sequences nicely, while maintaining a consistent tone that balances the horror with the romance. While the reveal itself didn’t exactly excite me or win me over and the film has this SCREAM feel you can’t escape, I think HEART EYES is a worthy watch during Valentine’s Day week for any horror [or even rom-com] fan.

SCORE

3 Howls Outta 4

(7 out of 10)