‘Heart Eyes’ Review: The Horror Romantic Comedy Sub-genre is Born
Director Josh Ruben (Werewolves Within) has dared to provide genre audiences with something altogether new, fresh, and risky. While horror-comedy might be a well-worn subgenre at this point, something fans are far less familiar with is the horror-romantic comedy. Ruben, a comedy genius in his own right, infuses the film with his unique brand of old-school humor massaged into a self-aware, grisly slasher film. Where the movie holds back on its scares and originality in the horror department, it shines with brilliant humor, classical sight gags, and strong ensemble work.
Heart Eyes follows Ally McCabe (Olivia Holt), an advertising executive, and freelancer Jay Simmons (Mason Gooding), who become targets of the “Heart Eyes Killer,” a masked murderer who strikes every Valentine’s Day, targeting couples. As Ally and Jay navigate their unexpected connection, they must also evade the relentless killer.
The movie works best as a romantic comedy. Holt is a vibrant casting choice, and it’s a joy to follow her through the silliness and grisliness of the brisk runtime. However, her romantic counterpart, Mason Gooding, is not quite as charismatic. He feels forced into the action, and their chemistry isn’t exactly electric. He’s undeniably gorgeous and has a knack for delivering a joke, but I never truly buy into his fear or sense of peril when the killer closes in.
The film’s opening sequence is its high point—a brutal yet hysterical hybrid of teen ultra-violence combined with an even more savage takedown of influencer culture. This scene also features one of the most shocking and memorable kills in recent slasher history. Unfortunately, the film never quite reaches that same level of inventive carnage again. Most of the horror sequences are contained within a single location or rely on a single weapon, which limits the creativity of the set pieces. The inventiveness of the opening sequence sets expectations high, but I found myself wishing for more surprises throughout the film.
The supporting cast, however, is a delight. Since humor is the movie’s real selling feature, seeing Devon Sawa, Jordana Brewster, and, best of all, Michaela Watkins play in this comedic sandbox is joyous to behold. Brewster gets to flex her comedic muscles in new ways, while Watkins steals every scene she’s in as a ruthless advertising executive whose taste for blood is almost more concerning than Heart Eyes himself. The interplay between these supporting characters adds a welcome layer of wit and energy that keeps the film engaging even when the horror elements fall short.
Speaking of the killer, Heart Eyes is a great start to a potential franchise. The mask design is playful and fun, and its callbacks to the underappreciated My Bloody Valentine feel refreshing. However, I wish the killer had been allowed to bring in more genuine horror and left the comedy to the rest of the cast, who already have that aspect well covered. As much as I enjoyed the visual design and concept, I would have liked to feel more genuine fear from this masked antagonist. The film leans too heavily into its comedic elements, which prevents the slasher from ever feeling truly threatening.
Sure, the horror elements don’t always land, but the comedy is a joy. This isn’t just a horror-comedy—it’s the first bona fide horror-romantic comedy, and there’s plenty of fun and genre subversion to be had. That said, I wish the film had put as much attention and excitement into its kills and scares as it did into its humor. The horror moments, unfortunately, often fall flat. However, that doesn’t take away from the value of Ruben’s playful addition to the slasher canon. If this film were to spawn a sequel, I’d love to see the Heart Eyes Killer return—perhaps with a stronger horror presence to match the comedic brilliance of the cast.
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Heart Eyes
Summary
While it’s not the most terrifying slasher out there, it’s a fresh and entertaining twist on the genre that could pave the way for more horror-romantic comedies in the future.
