Review by Michael McLarty
Director: Josh Ruben
Starring: Olivia Holt, Mason Gooding, Gigi Zumbado, Michaela Watkins, Devon Sawa, and Jordana Brewster
Movie Length: 1 hour 37 minutes
What Michael thought:
Creating a holiday-centric horror film can be a hit-and-miss proposition. The same could be said for unveiling a slasher genre movie. Combining the two can create classics such as the original Black Christmas and the Valentine’s Day films (yes, the original and the sequel) My Bloody Valentine. This leads us to the theaters with another Valentine’s Day offering titled Heart Eyes, the latest release from director Josh Ruben and a writing contribution from one of my current favorite horror writers, Christopher Landon.
Lead actor Olivia Holt (alumni of a host of Disney product) plays Ally, an advertising and marketing executive whose disillusionment with the concept of romantic love puts her in a precarious position with her employer. Enter Jay (portrayed by Mason Gooding from the recent Scream sequels), a freelance marketing genius who appears on the scene to rescue a failing campaign that Ally conceptualized.
These events happen to transpire on Valentine’s Day and the notorious Heart Eyes Killer (referred to by media sources as HEK) has targeted the city of Seattle, the location where the film takes place. Couples are warned to stay indoors and avoid PDA in public places. As you can probably guess, the HEK ends up enamored with Ally and Jay. While they aren’t technically a couple, the romantic tension between them is enough to make the pair candidates for attack.
The characterization of the lead actors helps separate Heart Eyes from other films of its ilk. We have a genuine romantic comedy embedded in the arena of a slasher film. The performances exude charm and charisma, making us invested in hoping for their survival, which is not always the case in this genre. The other defining factor that makes the movie a success is its humor. Director Josh Ruben helmed this production and he is to be lauded for his successful balance of combining horror, humor and romance.
The only mediocre bit is the villain and the forced twists that are associated with the antagonist. It’s really nothing we haven’t seen before, and the reveal is forced. Having said that, the slasher enthusiast in me is happy to report some good, gory kills.
Heart Eyes has all the ingredients to appeal to fans of the slasher horror variety. Audiences who enjoy the Scream franchise or writer and Director Christopher Landon (Freaky and the duo of Happy Death Day films) should find this a holiday treat.
Michael’s Grade: B-
Heart Eyes is now in theaters.
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