Overview & Production
Heart Eyes is a 2025 American horror-romantic comedy written by Christopher Landon, Phillip Murphy, and Michael Kennedy, and directed by Josh Ruben. Spyglass Media Group and Divide/Conquer produced the film, which hit theaters on February 7, 2025. Made on an estimated $18 million budget, it earned roughly $33 million globally before moving to digital release, where it built a sturdy streaming following.
Promotional materials pitched Heart Eyes as a bloody but humorous mash-up of the rom-com and slasher traditions, aimed squarely at couples and horror fans looking for an offbeat Valentine’s Day date.
Plot Summary
The story follows Ally, a weary advertising designer still nursing the wounds of a messy breakup. When her agency hands her the flagship Valentine’s Day campaign, she must partner with Jay, an energetic marketing consultant who sees opportunity in every problem. Their contrasting styles spark friction at first, yet playful banter soon turns to unexpected chemistry as they hash out creative ideas.
Outside the office, however, the city is gripped by panic over the so-called “Heart Eyes Killer,” a masked fiend who stalks couples every February. After Ally and Jay miraculously dodge the blades, they discover their rookie mistake: the killer now believes they are a pair and plans to finish what he started.
In a darkly funny twist, their best chance to stay alive is to act like they’re just friends. As Ally and Jay fake a platonic front, real feelings blossom-even as the Heart Eyes Killer gets closer with every scene. Police, bystanders, and even local detectives turn out to be part of the twisted web, proving that danger lurks inside and outside official badges.
The tension peaks at a packed Valentine’s Day drive-in, where retro films flash behind flickering headlights and the two lovers finally find the killers. Lost love letters, broken hearts, and twisted ideals hold the plot together, revealing that a jaded couple plotted the spree to punish a world they see as overly romantic. After a bloody showdown, Ally and Jay defeat their adversaries, admit the truth between them, and promise to build something real.
Characters & Performances
Ally (Olivia Holt): A career-focused woman dragging old wounds into every new meeting. Holt balances sharp jokes with scared silence, nailing the mix of horror and rom-com timing.
Jay (Mason Gooding): Quick charm hides deeper honesty, and Gooding chips away at that mask until flirt turns into steady partner.
Monica (Gigi Zumbado): Ally’s loyal, sarcastic best friend adds punchline-worthy humor and drops lifesaving advice when the chaos peaks.
Crystal (Michaela Watkins) comes across as Ally’s no-nonsense boss whose relentless demands keep the workplace on edge, yet she never tips the scales into outright villainy.
The Killers (Devon Sawa and Jordana Brewster) act as a late-game twist that flips audience expectations; their obsessive romance and tangled motives serve as a dark mirror to Ally and Jay’s own budding bond.
The broader ensemble backs the film’s tone nicely, but the true emotional heft lands on the chemistry between Holt and Gooding, who manage to sell their improbable pairing even amid the absurdity.
Style & Tone
Heart Eyes sports a sleek, high-gloss look, packed with stylish kills and eye-popping set pieces. The killer’s heart-shaped mask and Valentine-themed tools-heart-tipped arrows, candy-box traps-give the movie a signature visual hook. The imagery cleverly juxaposes classic love symbols-roses, chocolates, candlelit dinners-with blood and chaos.
Director Josh Ruben walks a tightrope between humor and horror; the film rarely dives deep into scares, yet each kill is choreographed to be both bloody and inventive. Most of the laughs spring from self-aware characters and exaggerated rom-com cliches.
Upbeat pop tracks mingle with tense orchestral stings, boosting both the swoon-worthy and the spine-chilling moments.
Themes & Genre Blending
Love vs. Death: The clearest thematic push-and-pull in the film. By aiming his blade at couples, the killer twists love into the real hazard, so the audience never relaxes.
Fake Relationship Trope: A wink to rom-com staples, Ally and Jays pretend romance becomes the only shield they have. The script shows that confessing feelings can feel riskier than dodging a knife.
Satire of Holiday Romance: The movie pokes fun at the overblown V-Day market, lampooning worn-out tropes while still crafting a sweet story viewers root for.
Duality of Passion: The murderers are driven by warped affection, mirroring the heroes in a chilling way that deepens the plot and thickens the climax.
Reception & Audience Reaction
Critics leaned positive, calling the mash-up fresh and the leads magnetic. Released on February 14, the picture tapped an audience eager for unusual holiday fare.
Some patrons argued the threads were thin or too trope-heavy, yet most valued its humor and clever self-mockery. Horror buffs cheered the inventive kills, rom-com fans swooned at the leads chemistry.
The film debuted quietly in theatres, yet during the week of Valentine’s Day it exploded on streaming, rocketing to the top of weekly viewing charts and staying there for days.
Conclusion
Heart Eyes offers a clever crossover of slasher and rom-com that plays with each genre without ever insulting either. Its tongue-in-cheek tone permits over-the-top scares while still leaving room for honest moments. Olivia Holt and Mason Gooding ground the story with easy chemistry, and the seasonal setting adds a light, timely sparkle.
Strengths:
- Inventive kills with a holiday twist
- Strong chemistry between lead actors
- Balances humor and horror effectively
- Clever genre satire
Weaknesses:
- Thin supporting characters
- Some predictable plot points
- May not fully satisfy purists of either genre
Ultimately, Heart Eyes feels like the candy-heart postcard of Valentine\’s horror: fun, slightly bloody, and sweeter than it first appears. Invite a date or settle in solo, and it will hand you exactly what you ordered: pulse-racing scares and the kind of chuckles you can\’t quite suppress.
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