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‘Heart Eyes’ Review: Josh Ruben’s Brilliant Horror Rom-Com
Josh Ruben’s brilliant new Valentine’s Day slasher “Heart Eyes” combines the romantic comedies “My Best Friend’s Wedding,” “Crazy Stupid Love,” and “Pretty Woman” with the predator-prey mania of “My Bloody Valentine.” This giddy and graphic whodunit is a standout achievement in the deceptively dense category of recent romances across genre comedy.
Although the killer pilgrim movie from 2023, “Thanksgiving,” is more stomach-churning than Ruben’s film, this nutty blend of hyper-violence and one-liners is a dark comedic delicacy.
The Story
A marketing professional for a jewelry company, Ally McCabe (Olivia Holt), sees her career collide with true crime headlines when the “Heart Eyes Killer” (“HEK” for short) arrives in Seattle.
A vicious villain known for attacking couples on February 14, the masked murderer dispatched more than a dozen people between Boston and Philadelphia.
Unfortunately, news of those tragic events failed to reach our heroine before her ridiculous boss (Michaela Watkins) approved a star-crossed lovers theme for their brand’s national ad campaign.
The Leads
A marketing professional for a jewelry company, Ally McCabe (Olivia Holt) sees her career collide with true crime headlines when the “Heart Eyes Killer” (“HEK” for short) arrives in Seattle.
A vivid villain known for attacking couples on February 14, the masked murderer dispatched more than a dozen people between Boston and Philadelphia.
Unfortunately, news of those tragic events failed to reach our heroine before her ridiculous boss (Michaela Watkins) approved a star-crossed lovers theme for their brand’s national ad campaign.
Ally’s awkward boss (Michaela Watkins) approved a star-crossed lovers theme for their brand’s national ad campaign. The homicide-laden promotional push, influenced as much by Ally’s lackluster dating life as anything else, puts her on the receiving end of an involuntary rescue from the hunky freelancer/“consumer cupid” Jay Simmonds (Mason Gooding) just hours away from the Big V.
The Chemistry Between the Leads
Stars Olivia Holt and Mason Gooding will put you on the edge of your seat — or maybe your date’s lap — faster than you can say “meat cute.”
A budding relationship between the reluctant Ally and the suave Jay confidently holds focus against the weight of a literal massacre.
Caught somewhere between an upper-crust Netflix rom-com and a contemporary “Scary Movie,” the not-couple is forced to flee danger and manage their obvious attraction to one another simultaneously.
The Supporting Cast
Detectives Hobbs (Devon Sawa) and Shaw (Jordana Brewster) — strong contenders for this year’s best joke character names — pick through clues with all the urgency of a school kid deciphering a crush via flower petals.
The uselessness of law enforcement can be overplayed in some lesser horror films to the point of losing tension.
But when Shaw swipes through a dating app in the middle of a blood-soaked crime scene, “Heart Eyes” establishes its unique and playful tone.
The Tone of the Film
Whether it’s Ally’s best friend Monica (Gigi Zumbado) chatting about her arthritis-addled sugar daddy, or Ally and Jay finding a moment to almost kiss after almost getting killed, the clash between light and dark grows steadily more hilarious.
Swinging wildly between beats that will make you laugh and then scream, which is foundational to the captivatingly bonkers story of Justin Kurzel’s “Assassin’s Creed,” tells us that this should be a very bad movie.
Expert Analysis
Although the killer pilgrim movie from 2023, “Thanksgiving,” is more stomach-churning than Ruben’s film, this nutty blend of hyper-violence and one-liners is a dark comedic delicacy.
The Australian director of grimly airless indie fare like “Snowtown” and “Macbeth” refusing to sacrifice a scrap of integrity, Kurzel has fully embraced the video games’ signature WTF factor.
Conclusion
In the realm of genre-bending cinema, Josh Ruben’s ‘Heart Eyes’ emerges as a masterclass in blending the seemingly disparate worlds of horror and romantic comedy. This ingenious fusion, reminiscent of the likes of ‘My Bloody Valentine’ and ‘Set It Up’, defies conventions and redefines the boundaries of modern storytelling. As we delve into the intricacies of this cinematic gem, it becomes apparent that Ruben’s bold vision is not merely a novelty but a deliberate subversion of our expectations, yielding a film that is at once both eerily unsettling and disarmingly charming.
The implications of ‘Heart Eyes’ extend far beyond its innovative blend of genres, however. This film serves as a testament to the versatility and creative potential of the horror-rom-com hybrid, paving the way for future experimentation and pushing the boundaries of what we consider acceptable in mainstream cinema. As the lines between genres continue to blur, we can expect to see a new wave of bold, daring storytelling that challenges our perceptions and redefines the possibilities of filmmaking. With ‘Heart Eyes’ leading the charge, the future of genre-bending cinema looks brighter – and more terrifying – than ever.
As we gaze into the ‘Heart Eyes’ of this cinematic siren, we are reminded that the most profound horrors often reside not in the darkness, but in the depths of our own hearts. And it is here, in the most unlikely of places, that we find the true power of Josh Ruben’s masterwork: a searing indictment of our own desires, a winking nod to the absurdities of love, and a haunting whisper that the horrors we fear most may be the ones we create ourselves. Will we dare to gaze into the abyss, or will we succumb to the darkness that lies within? The choice is ours, but with ‘Heart Eyes’ as our guide, one thing is certain: we will never see love – or horror – the same way again.