Colleen Grahek
Staff Writer
Halloween has Michael Myers. Christmas has Billy. Now, Valentine’s Day is another holiday to add onto your list of holiday slashers.
“Heart Eyes” is a romantic comedy slasher film directed by Josh Ruben and written by Phillip Murphy, Chris Landon and Michael Kennedy. Olivia Holt and Mason Gooding star in the film as the two romantic leads with Gigi Zumbado, Michaela Watkins, Devon Sawa and Jordana Brewster as supporting players.
Taking place on Valentine’s Day, the title character is terrorizing local citizens on his annual killing spree. Ally McCabe (Holt) and Jay Simmons (Gooding) are Heart Eyes’ next victims as they work together to save Ally’s marketing job (and their lives).
Although the film itself offers nothing new in terms of its genre, the cliches and the nods to previous holiday slashers such as John Carpenter’s Halloween and Bob Clark’s Black Christmas are the most entertaining aspects of the whole film. The Heart Eyes Killer, dressed in all black who harbors borderline supernatural martial arts skills with a knife and crossbow, along with a creepy mask and stealth walk that imitates hints of Michael Myers can either come across as ominous or hokey.
The first ten minutes of the film are the strongest when it comes to the villain due to the surprise factor involved in his methods. But as the film continues on, especially towards the second half, it becomes more predictable where he would strike next and from which angle, no matter how hard the film tries to convey those jump scares. Although, some of the other audience members who jumped and cried out “Holy cow” may disagree with me.
The climax of the film is a major let down when the identity of the killer is revealed. Not only is it nonsensical, but the motive is strangely less clear when it is explained to us by the perpetrator. Throughout the film, the audience can get a sense from the point of view shots of the killer why he would despise the holiday when he looks around and sees the happy couples around him. It didn’t need to be spelled out for us nor did there need to be another angle to complicate matters. The scene that happens previously before the eventual climax would have made for a stronger ending than what was given to us.
The two leads do a serviceable job when it comes to their characters and the relationship they have with each other. There are also some cute one-liners and innuendos that provide natural laughs that do not feel forced or cheap, which also adds to the film’s favor. Again, nothing new or surprising is offered, particularly when it comes to Ally’s reasoning for disliking Valentine’s Day, but their likeable personalities did make me root for them to make it out alive.
Going into the movie, tropes of the slasher genre were going to be evident. Blood and gore are on screen for about 90 percent of the film. Viewers who may be sensitive should view with caution. But for anyone who enjoys these types of films, and for those who may even feel animosity towards the holiday itself, this is a passable way to kill an hour and a half.