Movie Review: HEART EYES starring Olivia Holt, Jordana Brewster

Each year, it seems a holiday-themed slasher manages to creep into theaters. It usually is once a decade for that holiday to be Valentine’s Day, with only a few theatrical releases coming to mind since the early 2000’s. In the vein of 2001’s Valentine and 2009’s My Bloody Valentine remake, 2025 introduces audiences to Heart Eyes, the latest slasher whodunnit from Josh Ruben (the brilliant mind behind 2021’s Werewolves Within.)

                The film sees a masked killer who strikes every year on Valentine’s Day, going on a murder spree hunting down happy couples in the most brutal ways imaginable. With a decent amount of news coverage and hitting a new city each year, it seems nobody is safe. Well, that isn’t entirely true. Some may find themselves safe from the Heart Eyes Killer’s rampage, such as the newly single Ally, played by Olivia Holt. Working in PR, Ally despises Valentine’s Day, but a PR nightmare and a fast-approaching deadline requires Ally to work through the holiday with a charming PR guru played by Mason Gooding. Gooding’s character decides a fancy restaurant is the best spot for the pair to meet and discuss the upcoming campaign. The only issue: they caught the attention of the Heart Eyes Killer, and the serial murderer is convinced the two are a romantic item, meaning they are the slasher’s newest target.

                What follows is an odd mix of comedy and horror that clocks in right under 110 minutes. Along with Holt and Gooding’s characters, the film also stars Devon Sawa and Jordana Brewster as a set of detectives hunting for the identity of the masked killer before they can strike again. The promos and campaign for the film were done really well, and I was genuinely excited for the flick, as it seemed to offer an entry of a holiday-themed horror film that hasn’t been done over and over again. I’m a sucker for a fun slasher, and while the film was fun, it seemed like it was trying too hard to be something…different, something relevant.

                The writers of the film also penned some of the most enjoyable slasher flicks from the past decade, such as hits like Freaky and Happy Death Day. Perhaps that is why I felt so betrayed when the credits rolled. It could also be that the film really struggled with maintaining a balance between witty writing and shock value, not really finding a place in the genre of horror-comedy. To make things worse, but also remaining spoiler-free, the “big reveal” was absolutely ridiculous, and the dialogue was complete garbage. Heart Eyes wanted so bad to have the same bite and relevance as Scream, so much so that they even borrowed franchise star Mason Gooding, who appeared in the last two Ghostface features, and is confirmed to appear in the next entry due next year.

                As for holiday-themed horror films, Heart Eyes needs to revisit the editing room (and possibly stay there.) I wouldn’t be as offended if the film was released on a streaming platform, but a theatrical run doesn’t make sense for this particular film. Frontloading the beginning of the year with possible flops is a traditional Hollywood move, but I don’t foresee critical acclaim for Heart Eyes. Moviegoers who do enjoy the feature may find themselves lucky because more often than not, slasher films seem to garner a sequel even when the first film doesn’t hit the mark. While the film didn’t do it for me, it might provide some shock and awe for audiences or an impromptu date night to the theater. If you’re looking for a schlocky and mindless slasher film with mediocre writing, Heart Eyes might be an enjoyable flick. Or, you could find something else entirely to do for date night, like mini golf.

Heart Eyes earns C-.