Modern rom-coms are uniformly pedestrian. Modern horror pictures are hit and miss. Modern comedies are rarely funny. It is to the credit of writers Christopher Landon, Phillip Murphy, and Michael Kennedy, and their director Josh Ruben, that Heart Eyes works so well. Armed with an infectious silliness and commitment to the material, this blend of romantic comedy and “Holiday Slasher” horror is an entertaining tonic to the corporate drubbing we all receive during the weeks leading up to Valentine’s Day. 

Whether you love slasher films and hate rom-coms, hate slashers and love rom-coms, hate both or love both, Heart Eyes has something for everyone. Inside this creative entertainment, audiences will find big laughs, inventive kills, and enough movie references to keep everyone on their toes. 

The film’s playful tone is set with precision in an opening sequence that skewers both the glossy, over-lit Lifetime romance movies and the over-the-top kills found in the slasher genre. For the last few years, the “Heart Eyes Killer” has terrorized loving couples on Valentine’s Day. As the movie opens, we see a young couple trying hard to execute the perfect proposal. The sun is shining, the birds are singing, and the hopeful finance has prepared everything just right. Their storybook moment is (literally) shot down by the killer’s return, as a mini crossbow puts holes in both their plans and futures. The satiric laughs and brutal bloodletting are unleashed immediately and find an unexpected symmetry that continues through the rest of the film. 

The soon-to-be iconic design of the mask gives the killer a memorable aesthetic. With its red-lit eyes in the shape of hearts (we have a title!), “The Heart Eyes Killer” arrives with a cool menace.  

The film introduces Ally (Olivia Holt), a woman who feels she has nothing to fear from ol’ HEK, as she is currently single. Chasing after a career in advertising, Ally isn’t exactly at the top of her game. This year, Valentine’s Day holds no joy due to a recent breakup and trouble at work. Her boss (Michaela Watkins) responds to backlash against Ally’s ill-timed V-Day campaign that equates love with death by calling in a company “ringer”, the handsome Jay (Mason Gooding). As Ally reluctantly joins him for a “work-business dinner”, an impromptu kiss and a serious case of mistaken identity puts them on the run from the titular slasher. 

Holt and Gooding are a delight to watch. The two actors share an infectious chemistry and a combined screen presence that grounds the film amongst the madness and makes their comedic banter hit very well. It is a testament to both Holt and Gooding (and to the screenplay) that in a picture as wild as this one, we still feel a tinge of honest romance and emotion. 

Joining the fun are a very funny Gigi Zumbado as Ally’s stereotypical (on purpose) best friend and two homicide detectives (Jordana Brewster and Devon Sawa) who wear their cynicism as proud as their badges. Brewster sells her take charge policewoman while Sawa continues to be one of the most interesting and fun to watch actors in genre cinema. Zumbado has the film’s funniest moment with a hilarious monologue where her character’s brutal honesty about relationships is delivered in a rapid fire verbal smorgasbord of famous rom-com titles.   

Heart Eyes is full of victims that fill just about every movie stereotype one can imagine. From the sex-starved stoners to the sassy BFF, and the security guard who exists only to die, the filmmakers hit all the right genre buttons and have fun while doing it. The supporting characters alone make this one feel like “How to Lose A Guy in 10 Friday the 13ths”, a complement to the film’s successful execution. 

Ruben and his team make great entertainment out of swimming in their combined genre pools. The violence is tongue-in-cheek, but effective, while the romance and comedy work better (and are far more interesting) than any Hollywood rom-com produced today. The pure fun being had by the filmmakers and their cast and crew spills over into the audience, giving this film a welcome and infectious charm. 

Heart Eyes is a brisk, breezy, bloody, and quite funny genre mix that is one of the pleasures of this new cinematic year. Arriving during a time where moviegoers desperately need to find an entertaining escape from the real world, here’s hoping its broad appeal will be a hit with audiences. 

Heart Eyes

Written by Christopher Landon, Phillip Murphy, and Michael Kennedy

Directed by Josh Ruben

Starring Olivia Holt, Mason Gooding, Jordana Brewster, Gigi Zumbado, Devon Sawa, Micheala Watkins, Chris Parker

R, 90 Minutes, Spyglass Media Group, Screen Gems, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Divide/Conquer