The Horror Genre Has a New Icon, But It’s Not Quite There Yet
The horror genre has had a plethora of iconic movie slashers over the years, from Michael Myers to Jason Voorhees, but Heart Eyes seems poised to join their ranks. Unfortunately, the movie wastes much of its potential in a bizarre third act. Director Josh Ruben and writers Philip Murphy, Christopher Landon, and Michael Kennedy aim to balance a romantic comedy with brutal, bloody kills.
Heart Eyes follows Ally, who meets Jay at a coffee shop on Valentine’s Day morning. As it turns out, Jay is the fixer that Ally’s boss brought in to fix a massive mistake she made, and she agrees to a dinner date to discuss a fix to the problem. When Ally ropes Jay into posing as her boyfriend in front of her ex, the two become the unwitting targets of Heart Eyes.
The movie proceeds to try to balance Ally and Jay’s love story with the standard conventions of slasher movies, including jump scares, chase scenes through abandoned locations, and plenty of blood and gore. The killer is being sought by two Seattle police detectives, Hobbs and Shaw, played by Devon Sawa and Jordana Brewster.
Unfortunately, the movie falls short, with an uneven mix of romance and horror that could have worked. Olivia Holt and Mason Gooding have great chemistry, and the movie starts off strong with a compelling premise and fun kills. However, it takes some bizarre turns and ends with a ridiculous killer reveal. The movie also fails to balance its romance and horror genre conventions, resulting in a disappointing and confusing film.
Overall, Heart Eyes has an inventive premise, but little else. It’s a shame, as the movie had the potential to be a standout in the horror genre. As it stands, it’s a passable but unremarkable film.
