THE STORY – For the past several years, the “Heart Eyes Killer” has wreaked havoc on Valentine’s Day by stalking and murdering romantic couples. This Valentine’s Day, no couple is safe.
THE CAST – Olivia Holt, Mason Gooding, Jordana Brewster, Gigi Zumbado & Devon Sawa
THE TEAM – Josh Ruben (Director) & Christopher Landon, Michael Kennedy & Phillip Murphy (Writers)
THE RUNNING TIME – 90 Minutes
There have been plenty of conversations recently about counter-Christmas programming that occurred this past holiday season. Yet the one holiday where this has always been the standard is Valentine’s Day. The first quarter of the year, especially from January through March, usually churns out studio horror flicks in what’s often considered dumping grounds for films that might not land. In reality, horror films and romance have always been intertwined with each other. So why not give lovers all over the world some cheap thrills on what’s considered the most romantic day of the year? Josh Ruben certainly agrees, as his new horror-comedy “Heart Eyes” might be one of the more charming (and gory) date night films in recent memory, even if intentional on-the-nose nature doesn’t feel as ingenious as it thinks it is.
Right off the bat, “Heart Eyes” starts by eviscerating a Gen-Z wedding proposal not only in a comedic sense but also literally as the blood-filled cold open sets up Valentine’s Day as the time of the year when the infamous Heart Eyes Killer comes to ruin the day of love. After the initial gore-fest, “Heart Eyes” slides into its more romantic comedy footing as we meet Ally (played by Olivia Holt), a marketing exec still lamenting over her last relationship, which she abruptly ended. After an awkward meet-cute scenario, she soon learns that the attractive stranger from the coffee shop, Jay (played by Mason Gooding), is actually an executive brought in by her company to fix an entire media campaign. As the two begin to work together, their simmering feelings lead them to get caught in the cross-hairs of the Heart Eyes killer, and they have to spend Valentine’s Day fighting to survive. Ruben’s comedic sensibilities from his time writing and developing “CollegeHumor” videos on YouTube have so far blended well into his film career. “Werewolves Within” and “Scare Me,” both solid horror-comedies, were quite underrated, and now “Heart Eyes” is how many might come to experience Ruben’s work for the first time. Surely, most will be pleased to find that, for the most part, “Heart Eyes” is a blood-soaked delight. The horror itself is nothing unfamiliar to those who have seen a slasher film before. Occasional jump scares are induced by what is a silently giant and menacing killer who kills their victims in a variety of gruesome ways. If anything, you come for the humorously cartoonish deaths more than the “scares” themselves. The comedy, on the other hand, works far better than it should.
The screenplay by Christopher Landon, Michael Kennedy, and Phillip Murphy is sharper than most, albeit its intentional tongue-in-cheek nature could be found to be grating to some. It’s very much the descendant of self-aware horror classics such as “Scream.” Cliches of not only horror films but romantic comedies are played on, pointing out the intentionally ridiculous nature of their albeit seminal footprints in these genres even to this day. These screenwriters, along with Ruben, are very aware of what works and what doesn’t, especially in comedy, which oftentimes works better than the horror itself. Neither of these stand out on their own without feeling repetitive of films that have come before it, but when these horror elements blend with the comedy of it all, “Heart Eyes” becomes a very enjoyable watch. It also helps when both Holt and Gooding are ridiculously charismatic and have nothing but great on-screen chemistry with one another.
It’s honestly ridiculous how charismatic Mason Gooding can be. Not even just in a desirability sense, as plenty of the humor of “Heart Eyes” plays into his attractiveness, but it works so well with his comedic sensibilities. It’s like taking the essence of Glen Powell in “Anyone But You” into Eli Roth’s “Thanksgiving.” There is just showmanship in the way Gooding physically reacts to whoever his stars are opposite of, which makes whatever is happening ten times funnier. Both he and Holt also just have good comedic timing, even if the gag could occasionally be just them reacting to an incredibly crude kill. Gigi Zumbado, who plays Ally’s friend, also eats up every bit of humorous dialogue, even if it’s just her and Holt’s character riffing off one another. Jordana Brewster of “Fast and Furious” fame also pops up as the police officer trying to solve the murders of the Heart Eye Killer, and she even gets to join in on the fun.
“Heart Eyes” starts to sputter out towards the end with a finale most would see coming a mile away, especially if they just took the time to look at the cast list on IMDB. At least Ruben and company put in enough laughs to make what could’ve been far more mundane of an ending into something pleasant, even if it’s slight. Even when drawn out, “Heart Eyes” is still efficient at getting to the point with its incredibly breezy ninety-minute runtime. It’s definitely one of the more quality Valentine-oriented horror flicks alongside “My Bloody Valentine’s Day” (the 1981 version). The fact there’s a whole setpiece involving a drive-in with “His Girl Friday” playing in the background alone makes this cooler than most studio horror films being released today. “Heart Eyes” is a murderously funny time at the movies, which is all anyone could ask for.
