Heart Eyes, is a 2025 romantic comedy slasher that seeks to blend the sweetness of a rom-com with the brutal thrills of a horror flick. It was directed by Josh Ruben and stars Olivia Holt and Mason Gooding.
The film follows two co-workers, Ally and Jay, who find themselves navigating an unexpected romantic connection while being stalked by the ruthless “Heart Eyes Killer” on Valentine’s Day. Ally (Olivia Holt) is a skeptical, love-averse young woman working at a trendy marketing firm who meets a charming consutant who is brought in to clean up a mess at the firm that she created. She soon finds herself reluctantly attending a Valentine’s Day dinner with Jay. Soon after, she and Jay are stalked by a masked killer donning an exagerated Heart eyes emoji mask known as “The Heart-Eyes killer”. They must now survive the night while confronting their own romantic chemistry while being endlessly pursued by Heart Eyes.
Blending a romantic comedy with slasher horror is a bold and interesting idea and I was pretty skeptical that it could be pulled off but, Heart Eyes delivers a hokey, lovey and bloody romp. The comedy is decently effective with satirical takes on modern dating culture, office romance, and Valentine’s Day clichés. However, while the film has a fun, campy energy, it lacks the genuine suspense that makes a horror-comedy truly great. The killer, though visually striking with their oversized heart-eyed mask, lacks the presence of a classic slasher killers like Ghostface or Michael Myers. The motivations are revealed late in the film but don’t quite pack the punch needed to make them truly memorable.
I though that Heart Eyes was an entertaining genre mashup that offers some laughs and a solid romantic core, but it struggles to fully deliver a slasher killer that can stand shoulder to shoulder with the classics. Fans of Freaky or Happy Death Day will likely enjoy its playful tone, but those looking for a genuinely terrifying horror experience may walk away disappointed.
Overall – I would say that if you like horror movies, Heart Eyes is worthy of your 90 minutes. It’s a decent little film that should entertain in one way or the other.
7/10
Heart Eyes is available to rent on Digital outlets now for $19.99 or purchase it for $24.99. It will also be available on DVD & Blu-ray on April 15.
