These days, slasher films can be a dime a dozen. Ever since Scream hit theaters in 1996, not only have slashers been commonplace, they’ve been the subject of satire. Everyone is in on the joke. We know all the rules. So, I was oddly optimistic when I walked into Heart Eyes. Would this Valentine’s Day-themed horror film slay the competition? Or will it just get hung up on the doggy door? Read on.
About Heart Eyes
Heart Eyes follows the action when a serial killer, who just so happens to target couples, descends on Seattle during Valentine’s Day. Will a young “not quite” couple be able to bring the “H.E.K” killer to justice? Olivia Holt, Mason Gooding, Gigi Zumbado, Jordana Brewster and Devon Sawa co-star in the film. Josh Ruben directs Heart Eyes from a script by Christopher Landon, Michael Kennedy and Phillip Murphy.
Writer Christopher Landon teams once again with Michael Kennedy and continues to show us why they stand among the most memorable of horror creators. This is, of course, a rarified territory with names like Jordan Peele, Robert Eggers and Leigh Whannell continuing to define the genre. However, with each passing work, Landon and Kennedy step ever closer to auteur status. Their quirky, easy flair is immediately recognizable.
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With that lavish praise out there, Landon and Kennedy’s script takes some delightfully quirky chances, and this critic was oh-so-here for it. The idea of a Valentine’s Day slasher film is perhaps not new. However, this movie is a bit more complicated in that it blends and reflects on the two distinctive genres.
Love of Pop Culture
Heart Eyes features a whip-smart script that revels in bringing an infectious love of its pop culture influences. This involves something as simple as chuckle-worthy rom-com references layered in the dialogue (keep an eye out for a particularly funny Gigi Zumbado speech) to a quirky look at the genre’s many fun tropes.
Most fun for this film nerd, however, were a number of pointed classic film references. As mentioned, these moments show Heart Eyes bringing an unabashed love for film history, and if you’re looking, it’s easy to spot them. These range from a shopping montage that’s straight out of Pretty Woman to a Strangers on a Train callback and references to not only His Girl Friday but also Grease. Heck, there were surely more that I didn’t have a chance to catch. However, I would have turned over my hard-earned Millennial money to hear co-star Devon Sawa whisper the iconic, “Can I keep you…” Just once. Even without that, though, my deeply repressed, once-preteen self was over the moon.
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A Star in the Making
Sawa is just one member of a cast who is having a heck of a lot of fun. Many will certainly be excited to see Jordana Brewster sink her teeth into a fun and quirky part. No spoilers, sweetie. Mason Gooding, meanwhile, is guilty of stealing scenes like a bandit in this star-making role.
The young actor has been busy making a name for himself in the industry thanks to roles in plucky teen films like Y2K, Booksmart and even the most recent entries in the Scream franchise. He steps into the part of Jay, a character who could prove thankless in the hands of another actor. Gooding, however, easily finds a memorable likability. He’s at ease with not only the action but also the humor, and his effortless charisma makes him a perfect casting choice.
Everything comes together here and gels into an effortlessly gory slasher. There are, of course, plenty of jump scares that are perfectly executed for those of us of a jittery persuasion. Heart Eyes is clearly having fun playing with much of its action and “gore horror” during dynamic action set pieces. Your’s truly particularly enjoyed a sequence that is — admittedly, a retro throwback— set inside a drive-in movie theater and Valentine’s Day carnival. It’s a smorgasbord for a Valentine’s Day serial killer. Luckily, the film keeps its tongue enjoyably in cheek during its many rich and vivid action sequences, and it makes for a heck of a lot of fun.
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Candy-Coated Cinema
When all is said and done, Heart Eyes is a silly slasher distraction that might be just the ticket for horror fans this February. This movie is what I like to call “candy-coated cinema.” This is easy and fun, but with that, just the right amount of scary. See this one with an audience. You won’t be disappointed.
Heart Eyes opens in theaters around the country on February 7, 2025.
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