Hey everyone and welcome to a brand new review! For this one, I will be catching up with a horror flick that came out back in February, one that had a good amount of positive buzz to it. Produced by Christopher Landon (big name in horror thanks to the likes Happy Death Day among other things), Heart Eyes is a slasher film themed around the Valentine’s Day holiday and was purposely released to coincide with that. Aside from major franchises like Halloween and Scream, we don’t really get many original slasher films made at the studio level, so it was neat to see one like this come along with a holiday flavor to boot. I’ll admit that my interest wasn’t extremely high initially (looked pretty typical as far as these go), but the solid reviews piqued my interest. Now that I’ve seen it, was it able it worth checking out? Let’s jump right in and see if this put me in a loving mood!
The main hook of the film is that there is a serial killer known as “Heart Eyes” has been at large for the past couple of years, murdering couples on Valentine’s Day. On this present year, the Heart Eyes Killer (or HEK for short) heads to Seattle for the new killing destination. Here we follow one Ally McCabe, a jewelry company pitch designer, who just recently went through a break up. She ends up meeting a man named Jay Simmons at a coffee shop and they seem to hit off well. Later that day, though Ally finds out that Jay is called in at her workplace in order to help her out after her recent pitches haven’t exactly been the most popular. Despite his charm, Ally isn’t swayed much but still decides to meet up with for dinner in order to discuss work (or at least seemingly discuss work). Through various circumstances (such as a kiss in front of Ally’s ex. to make it look like they’re together), they end up in the cross hairs of Heart Eyes despite not being a couple and now have to survive the night.
While the film is very much a slasher flick, and an effective one at that, I really admire what director Josh Rubin, and the various writers are going for in placing that within the framework of a rom com. It has the various story beats and tropes one would expect from this kind of love story, but it manages to be both very self aware in it’s cliches, while also being sincere when it needs to be. Yes, it does a good job in setting up Heart Eyes as a threat while also making the way for some solidly done scenes of the killer chasing our heroes and often dispatching of people in truly gnarly fashion. That stuff is entertaining. However, I was surprised by how much I was engaged with the main relationship at its center and at just how well it executes the romantic comedy elements as it feels like the genuine article and a compelling version at that. The script is often witty with a lot of funny jokes and sharp commentary on dating life in the modern age as well as what it means to be in a relationship and in the various ways it can be accomplished. It definitely pokes fun, but it also does take the time to look into these ideas from a compelling stand point and in a way could end up being relatable to many.
It’s so good at exploring this angle that the slasher angle, in lesser hands, could’ve ended up feeling like an afterthought, but instead it is tied into all of this nicely and the writers are clearly having fun weaving in these two different genres together in a way that is tonally consistent. If there is one area in which the writing could’ve been stronger, it’s in the twist surrounding who Heart Eyes is. Not only is it fairly easy to see where the twist is going, but I also feel like the motivation, while fine, was a lot more conventional than I would’ve expected from the film. I felt like more could’ve been done to tie it in with the themes of the picture. Now, not everything about the twist is poorly done (there are some angles of it that I like), and the climax still works on an emotional level, but I do think it could’ve been handled more creatively. Plus, the mystery is not the entire crux of the feature meaning it doesn’t derail the otherwise delightful and briskly paced proceedings.
As far as the production values, the film looks and feels like both a polished studio rom com as well as a well made horror picture. I found the bright and colorful look of the more light hearted scenes contrasted appropriately with the darker hues of the intense parts, with the color, red, being prominently used in ways both loving and gruesomely. There are some neat stylistic choices during the horror scenes with a the use of flashing lights in a police station set piece, specifically being an effective way of mounting tension and unease. I also appreciated that the film does not hold back from the brutality of many of the kills as this is a movie takes advantage of that R-rating to provide some gory take outs that are handled in an over the top fashion, while also doing the job in showing how big of a threat Heart Eyes is. Speaking of which, I’m also a fan of the design as the Valentines theme makes it stand out from other silver screen killers and the actual heart eyes help make it into a memorable look. Also like it, when they are used for seeing in the dark, something I wish was taken advantage of more.
Of course, one can’t have a good rom com without a strong duo at the center and it is here where the feature delivers in flying colors. I’ve seen both Olivia Hoult and Mason Gooding in projects before and know they are talented (Hoult from the Disney XD series, Kickin It, and Gooding from the last two Scream films) but I think this is their best showcase yet as performers. They have excellent chemistry with one another, being two different personalities with differing perspectives on love, and playing off of one another wonderfully. Hoult is able to portray Abby’s cynicism very well, while still maintaining the likability of the character. She is written in a way where one can understand why she is as pessimistic as she is and her arc is nicely fleshed out. Gooding just oozes movie star charisma, showing off some real charm. Jay is equally as multi layered with his seemingly ladies man exterior being a cover for something more personal. He manages to provide some of the best laughs and has nice comedic timing. The two of them make for a compelling pair to watch and I enjoyed seeing how their relationship developed over the course of the feature.
The rest of the supporting cast, while not as fleshed out, still manage to inject even more fun into what goes on. Gigi Mumbado in particular makes for a very amusing “rom com best friend” as Ally’s bestie, Monica, bringing a lot of energy and sarcasm that makes the character work and she has a sweet dynamic with Ally. I also enjoyed Michaela Watkins in her brief, but important role as Ally’s boss, Crystal Cane, as she also manages to bring something to what could’ve been a throwaway character (essentially the demanding boss archetype). My personal favorites of the bunch were Devon Sawa and Jordana Brewster as the detectives on the case, Hobbs and Shaw (no not the Fast and Furious characters… though that is amusingly brought up here). The former is very enjoyable as the cocky and deadpan one of the two, while the latter is having a blast playing this feisty detective who yearns for a romantic connection of some kind. I honestly would’ve liked to have seen more of them. I quite appreciated all of the other various bit players that are given enough personality for them to stand out and it makes it sting a little when a couple of them end up getting in the way of Heart Eyes.
In the end, I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed Heart Eyes as I thought it was a nice, fresh take on the slasher formula. The mystery angle and the reveals aren’t its strongest suit and there are couple of characters I would’ve liked a little bit more from, but it is still able to be a successful blend of genres as it is intense when needed, succeeds greatly as rom com, is very funny, has some nasty kills, has a fantastic duo leading it all, and the performers are all having fun. Slasher fans are bound to eat this up, especially if one is looking for one with a unique angle to it and I honestly think this would make for a great watch for couples on date night (granted if both parties have a liking for these sorts of films). It makes me excited for whatever Josh Rubin has coming up on the horizon as I was impressed by what he did here as balancing these different tones isn’t easy. Definitely a contender for biggest surprise of the year and it is one that I can see becoming an annual watch for many come the day of love.
Rating: A-
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