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As likely to make you go “aww” as “ugh,” Heart Eyes is a bloody valentine to both rom-coms and horror with affection for these seemingly disparate genres. Directed by Werewolves Within and Scare Me’s Josh Ruben, this is a gushy movie in both meanings of the word: You get all the mushy tropes of a sweet romance coupled with plenty of gurgling stabbings and arterial sprays. I’m not sure exactly how many moviegoers fit in the Venn diagram of loving both of these things (other than me), but Heart Eyes is a gory good time for those who are likely to swipe right on an off-kilter love story and a horror comedy.
Heart Eyes doesn’t reinvent the well-traveled wheel for either type of film. It’s less indebted to a specific romantic comedy as it is the genre as a whole, paying homage to a litany of modern classics in a name-dropping monologue and to Golden-era ones with scenes from His Girl Friday playing in the background. However, its horror influences are clearer. This movie owes a lot to My Bloody Valentine in its premise, but boy, is it deep in hock to Scream, even beyond the casting of Mason Gooding who starred in the series rebootquel and Scream VI.
Heart Eyes crosses romance movie tropes with horror movie kills.
Here the actor plays Jay, a marketing whiz who has a meet-cute with Ally (Olivia Holt, Cloak & Dagger) in a coffee shop where they bond over their shared overly complicated coffee order. But after they bump heads (literally) in the cafe, she soon learns that he is the freelancer hired to save the day when Ally’s death-centric jewelry ad campaign feels a bit too relevant to consumers. Today is February 14, and the Heart Eyes Killer has murdered numerous couples for the third Valentine’s Day in a row, so people on the internet feel like her concept is insensitive. Ally is charged with coming up with a new campaign by her boss (You Hurt My Feelings‘ Michaela Watkins, doing an inexplicable but enjoyable Southern accent), since the commercial is getting torn to shreds by commenters.
To salvage the brand (and Ally’s career), Jay invites Ally to a working dinner on the most romantic night of the year at one of Seattle’s nicest restaurants. Unfortunately, while there they catch the eye of the Heart Eyes Killer, even while insisting they’re not on a date. This non-couple with enviable chemistry is stalked across the city, as Heart Eyes leaves a trail of bloody bodies while Ally and Jay get to know each other beyond first-date banter.
Gooding and Holt make for a cute couple, even if there’s not much beneath the surface of their characters.
Yet we don’t ever get to know them because there’s not much to these characters: Ally is a cynic who hates romance (because of trauma) and paper straws (because of sogginess), while Jay is a big ol’ softy (also because of trauma) trapped in a hard body (because of Hollywood). The script is pretty predictable in its arc, given how formulaic the two genre pools it’s playing in often are. It’s also easy to guess the identity of Heart Eyes if you’re paying just a little bit of attention. (And if you’re not, Heart Eyes calls additional attention to a telling detail with a delightfully groan-worthy gag.)
But even with those issues, Heart Eyes is a blast. It’s often shriekingly funny while also being pretty disgusting (complimentary). The kills are creative, though I wish the red-band trailer didn’t give away one of its more inventive offings, but at least you were warned of what you were in for. Heart Eyes isn’t that frightening, other than a few jump scenes, but it is nicely nasty in its volume of violence and viscera. It really earns its R rating.
Heart Eyes may be a rom-com at heart, but it primarily takes its cues from Scream and Happy Death Day.
Credit: Christopher Moss / Screen Gems
Heart Eyes has a similar vibe to the Scream movies, with its masked slasher, winking jokes, and cheeky tone. A pair of horror stars from the ’90s and ’00s — Final Destination‘s Devon Sawa and The Faculty‘s Jordana Brewster — have co-starring roles, which seems like a page out of Scream‘s playbook too. Heart Eyes also feels of a piece with Happy Death Day and Freaky in their energy, which makes sense since its screenplay was written by Happy Death Day‘s Christopher Landon and his Freaky co-writer Michael Kennedy, as well as Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard co-writer Phillip Murphy. It’s not as good as Happy Death Day (because few things are), but it’s better than Freaky. There’s a sense of glee amidst all the gore, and it isn’t only from watching this could-be couple fall in love amidst all the death and destruction. You can tell these sickos (again, complimentary) had a good time making this movie, and it’s an equally good time for the audience from the moment the sappy strains of Lonestar’s “Amazed” play during the first kill scene.
The music and sound work here are solid, contributing to the film’s twisted sense of humor and horror. Outkast’s “Happy Valentine’s Day” plays over a less-than-cheery montage, while David Gray’s “This Year’s Love” sets a wistful tone amidst all the carnage. The sound team also ably captures all the squishes and squelches of the action, both on screen and off, and Heart Eyes is audibly menacing with heavy breathing and thudding footfalls.
Heart Eyes simultaneously has a mean streak and a soft heart, which is rare enough for an entry in the horror genre to feel a little special. Ally and Jay — and Holt and Gooding — are good together, and you’re rooting for them not just to survive the night but to make it as a couple. This isn’t a swooning romance (unless you’re easily grossed out and likely to faint), but it’s sweet enough when it counts to balance out the ickier bits.
Heart Eyes opens in theaters Feb. 7.
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