In Josh Ruben’s “Heart Eyes,” Ally (Olivia Holt) works in advertising for a high-end jewelry brand. Her latest campaign pitch on doomed lovers (Romeo and Juliet, Bonnie and Clyde, Jack and Rose, etc.) lands with poor taste in the shadow of a third year of brutal murders by the famous “Heart Eyes” killer–a masked maniac who targets couples on Valentine’s Day– forcing her company to bring in the big guns in the form of a young man, Jay (Mason Gooding), who is a charming, in-demand concept master in the marketing sphere.
Jay has a crush on a very dejected Ally, who is stuck in mourning her now-coupled ex via his social media posts with his new sweetheart. Jay is suave, smooth, and confident, putting it all out there despite Ally’s hard facade. To her, love is a sham, ending only in death or despair. But when Jay and Ally bump into her ex on Valentine’s Day, a postured smooch puts them right in the sights of the Heart Eyes killer. As they attempt to flee and fend him off, despite ebbs in their chemistry, Ally and Jay must constantly assert that they are very much NOT together. Their lives depend on it.
“Heart Eyes” is a raving good time. As a Valentine’s Day flick and a horror picture, it lands for fans of all kinds: those who seek warmth, wrath, or both. Valentine’s Day is one of those polarizing holidays that people either embrace or dismiss as a Hallmark Holiday. Whichever side of the spectrum you land on, “Heart Eyes” has you covered, providing enough cynicism and romance to paint a pretty full picture of the peaks and valleys of the romantic experience.
At its core, Ally’s adamant despondence is rivaled by Jay’s optimistic romantic outlook, and as they constantly butt heads on the principles of love (in the moments they’re not fighting for their lives), “Heart Eyes” gives everyone something to identify with. The self-aware script pokes fun at the conventions of a typical rom-com, working them into the bloodshed with hilarious sleight of hand. But even so, there’s charm in the mockery.
While maintaining full awareness of its cliches, Holt and Gooding’s chemistry still pulls you into the will-they won’t-they of it all, leaving plenty of room to swoon between screaming. We become privy to all kinds of couples–transactional (Ally’s sugar baby bestie), postured, tired, stoned “summer of love” wannabes (one of the funniest set pieces of the film), yearners (Jordana Brewster plays a hilariously lusty cop), and, of course, ones happily and plainly in love (or on the way).
Heart Eyes as the villain has a fashionable design, something underappreciated but necessary in the making of a memorable slasher. His dingy yellow mask with glowing red heart eyes finds itself somewhere between the noted emoji and “The Collector.” And when it comes to the carnage, Ruben’s film doesn’t hold back. Whether indulging in machinery, available objects, or a trusty knife, the resourcefulness becomes a character itself both for the killer and the hunted. The kills are creative, absurd, and pulpy. With sites of bloodshed and homicidal techniques abound, “Heart Eyes” is a well-paced drag race, pushing velocity forward in its violence whilst taking perfectly timed comedic turns to stay on course.
In theaters only on February 6.
