It’s almost not fair how filmmaker Josh Ruben (Scare Me, Werewolves Within) is both a knowledgeable cinephile, a gifted filmmaker, and very funny performer, but here we are.
His latest horror-comedy, Heart Eyes, is perhaps his best work yet in terms of not skimping on the carnage while also delivering on his premise of a scare film built around a pair of co-workers fleeing for their lives because the “Heart Eyes Killer” thinks their a couple when, in fact, they aren’t…at least not yet. For years running, this stylish-looking psycho has stalked and slaughtered loving couples on Valentine’s Day. He has light-up, heart-shaped eyes on his mask, so he looks pretty cool and threatening, as any self-respecting serial murderer should.
On this particular Valentine’s Day, Ally (Olivia Holt) has just severely stumbled on a major ad campaign at her firm, and her boss (a great cameo by Michaela Watkins) decides to bring in another, presumably better rep for the campaign in the form of Jay (Mason Gooding), a handsome devil who Ally is forced to hate because he’s basically taking over where she failed.
He, on the other hand, takes an instant liking to her, and so the push and pull of their chemistry begins. But when she accidentally runs into her ex, she kisses Jay to make him jealous, and right at that moment, the killer spots them and sees them as the perfect next victim, leading to a movie-long chase in which the pair must defend themselves while also attempting to prove that they aren’t actually a couple, which becomes tougher as the story moves on.
Meanwhile, a pair of police detectives named—wait for it—Hobbs (Devon Sawa) and Shaw (Jordana Brewster) are in pursuit of the killer, at first thinking Ally and Jay might have something to do with the murders, but then allow them to be used as bait. Naturally, there’s a little more going on with those two than initially meets the eye.
Heart Eyes is not only a parody (of sorts) of the many holiday-themed horror films, but Ruben also clearly knowns his rom-com tropes and applies just the right amount of skepticism about romance to both mock them and honor them as having a certain amount of charm. But he also clearly loves his blood and guts, and some of the kills here are brutal; others are funny; most are both.
There’s a screamingly funny sequence in which the killer chases the pair into a drive-in movie lot playing His Girl Friday, for no particular reason, other than Ruben clearly loves the movie. There are several touches like that just to elevate the film in small but important ways, and in the end, the whole thing just works as a funny, charming piece, with a healthy amount of blood coating everything. If your Valentine’s Day date doesn’t mind a little red in their gift, this is probably your best bet come Feb. 14th.
The film is now playing in theaters.
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