
Holidays and horror movies go together like peanut butter and chocolate these days. Many decades ago, slasher movies like Friday the 13th, Halloween, and Black Christmas would present twisted takes on the beloved days of the year. In recent years, horror outings like Thanksgiving, Terrifier 3, and Trick ‘r Treat got into the spirit of the seasons with buckets of blood and entrails. Heart Eyes might not be called “Valentine’s Day,” but the latest slasher movie is one that certainly could hold that title if push came to shove. When all is said and done, will Heart Eyes become another classic, seasonal slasher?
Heart Eyes follows the story of Ally (Olivia Holt), an advertising specialist whose ill-timed marketing campaign runs headfirst into a little problem in its deathly aesthetic. There’s a killer on the loose and the titular slasher has a hankering to carve through couples for reasons unknown. Introduced through a series of misadventures with a would-be beau in Jay (Mason Gooding), the potential couple has unfortunately found themselves in the crosshairs of the holiday killer. As the ill-fated protagonists attempt to dodge the advances of the masked antagonist, Heart Eyes promises to leave a bloody trail in its wake.
Heart Eyes is directed by Josh Ruben, an up-and-comer in the horror game. Previous outings from Ruben have been strong ones, with entries like Werewolves Within and Scare Me managing to not just present pictures that expertly balanced horror and comedy, but offered some interesting new approaches to standard settings. It’s in this past resume that I found myself a little disappointed in Heart Eyes by just how traditional this Valentine’s Day-themed slasher appears. This isn’t to say that the movie doesn’t have heart behind it, but the slasher is one that feels far more like scratching an itch rather than adding a game-breaking entry into the horror genre.
This isn’t to say Heart Eyes doesn’t have its charms. Both Gooding and Holt have amazing chemistry in this as the two find themselves sharing dinner and a fight with a madman (or madmen?) throughout this breezy, 90-minute affair. Ruben’s background as a comedian himself shines through here as there are some genuinely hilarious beats peppered throughout. The wit and commentary bite hard in the horror’s run time, though those looking for scares might find themselves a tad disappointed in that category.
Another notch in Heart Eyes’ belt is how it does take some big swings in its portrayal of the stalker’s path. Rather than simply being relegated to an abandoned summer camp or a derelict suburban neighborhood, the masked killer with an ax to grind with couples is a traveling horror. Heart Eyes seemingly appears in a new city each Valentine’s Day in recent years, adding an interesting wrinkle to some of the more traditional slashers. What this latest horror movie also does is incorporate aspects of social media into the mix, though it feels like this could have been an element that was further fleshed out.
Now that we’re in an age of Art the Clown and the Smile Demon, fans are expecting a little bit of the ultraviolence from their horror mascots. Unfortunately, one of Heart Eyes’ best kills is spoiled in the marketing, to the point where I even saw a poster that focused on said kill. While the ending is quite the blood-soaked affair, the killer himself could have used a bit more creativity in the blood and guts department. Speaking of creativity, the killer doesn’t have a design that will make him as memorable as the likes of Jason Voorhees, Freddy Krueger, or Michael Meyers, as the lighting up of his eyes is probably the only real noteworthy aspect of the aesthetic.
Heart Eyes doesn’t attempt to break any horror wheels, instead offering a serviceable outing that is a breezy addition to the subgenre. While it has its fair share of humor and heart, there are more than a few dents in the armor for this new, would-be horror icon. If you are looking for a serviceable, fun slasher movie, Heart Eyes might be worth your time.
Rating: 3 out of 5
Heart Eyes releases in theaters on February 7th.
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