Director: Josh Ruben
Cast: Olivia Holt, Mason Gooding, Gigi Zumbado, Michaela Watkins, Devon Sawa, Jordana Brewster
Screenplay: Phillip Murphy, Christopher Landon, Michael Kennedy
90 mins. Rated R.

Since Black Christmas, the notion of holiday-themed horror, especially in the realm of slashers, has created an inherent necessity to view these films every year on their appropriate date, and horror fans love to have a reason to revisit their favorite films. The newest of these slashers, Heart Eyes, is a fascinating take on Valentine’s Day with more than a few clever ideas and an abundance of graphically good fun.

Ally (Olivia Holt, Totally Killer) is having a terrible Valentine’s Day. Recently single, she’s probably going to be fired for her work on an ad campaign that attracted unwanted attention. Even worse, the Heart Eyes Killer has returned for the third consecutive year, this time with their sights set on her city of Seattle. While the Heart Eyes Killer usually targets couples, Ally has unintentionally attracted the attention of the handsome and smooth-talking Jay (Mason Gooding, Scream), and now the two must evade this sadistic serial killer if they hope to survive the night.

From the opening scene of Heart Eyes, it’s clear that this slasher takes a lot of notes from the goofier 80s slashers and the meta-slashers of the 90s, like Scream. I love how much satire and humor director Josh Ruben (Werewolves Within) was able to imbue within the film, taking from all the tropes of romantic comedies, like the meet cute, the shopping for clothes before a date montage, and tucking the hair behind the ear before a kiss. Ruben, alongside screenwriters Phillip Murphy, Christopher Landon, and Michael Kennedy, were even able to work in these tropes to the killer’s motive. The Heart Eyes Killer only targets couples, and Ally and Jay are consistently and awkwardly coupled up in every public scene.

I also appreciated how the screenplay sets this as the third year of the Heart Eyes Killings, so it kind of feels like a sequel to two previous horror films, which creates some fun in the irony that people are prepping to be beset upon by a killer, but the restaurants are all still open because…money. The Heart Eyes Killer has a legendary status because of two separate events in other locations. This also adds to the confusion about the possible identities of the killer as the narrative moves along, and it does away with the exposition in a fairly economic way.

Amidst all the blood and fun, Heart Eyes does still struggle with some of the trappings of its genre. Its final reveal wasn’t terribly shocking, it relies far too often on using sound for jump scares, the killer has Stormtrooper syndrome (accurate with slaying, unless it’s the main characters), and it suffers from fourth act syndrome, but these are all outweighed by the overall fun experience of the two main characters, their chemistry, and the entertaining environment that Ruben has crafted.

Heart Eyes has a killer opening, and it’s a blast of an experience that was made all the better in the theater. I can see this becoming a regular viewing in my home every February. With a great tone, some truly exciting horror, and a surprisingly romantic edge, this lovely slasher is worth your date night this month.

3.5/5
-Kyle A. Goethe