When it comes to horror films, there are a few different sub-genres to choose from. There is the slasher flick full of blood, guts, and gore, the supernatural/paranormal movie that encompasses otherworldly demons, the thriller/suspense that gets your heart pumping and has you sitting on the edge of your seat, and then there is the campy/comedic version that makes you laugh out loud while watching characters get chased by a crazy person with a weapon (usually a knife). A lot of horror movies combined a few of these such as a supernatural/paranormal-themed film that also has some thriller/suspense aspects thrown in. Director Josh Ruben's (Werewolves Within) new film, Heart Eyes, manages to take a traditional gory/slasher movie and infuse it with several campy/comedic moments.
For the past two years, HEK or Heart Eyes Killer has terrorized happy couples across the country on Valentine's Day. There seems to be no rhyme or reason to the killer's victims other than they are happily celebrating their love. However, when coworkers Ally (Olivia Holt; Cloak & Dagger) and Jay (Mason Gooding; Scream VI) share a kiss to try and make Ally's ex-boyfriend jealous, the killer takes it the wrong way and thinks they are a couple. Suddenly, they find themselves the killer's next targets.
Ruben blends the blood and gore of a slasher film, such as Psycho and Halloween, with the comedic elements of the Scream series and Happy Death Day. He knows when to make the moment bloody and when to make it funny and the balance of the two is well done. Sometimes it seems as if the gore is overdone to try and make it seem funny, but the result is simply overly gross. However, the funny moments are very funny making the movie difficult to take completely seriously.
Ruben also assembled a great group of actors. The cast is excellent, beginning with Holt. She offers a fearlessness hidden deep down that is undermined by her overtly somewhat timid demeanor. Conversely, Gooding portrays Jay as a confident, capable, person who acts as if he knows he has something special. Jordana Brewster (The Fast and Furious franchise) makes the cool and collected cop role look easy while her partner, Hobbs (Devon Sawa; Final Destination), is the stereotypical cocky bastard riding a suspect harder than necessary because he is on a power trip. The remainder of the cast is good, if relatively forgettable.
The script is written well enough but has predictable moments, including the "surprise" ending where the killer is revealed, and the leads get together romantically. Ruben's direction keeps the pacing moving along even though the film is only 90 minutes long. He also keeps the audience guessing who the real killer is and (spoiler alert), while Jay would be an excellent guess, it isn't him. The plot has some different elements than other horror movies so that makes the film stand out as well. The scenes are well-shot, and nothing is glaringly out of place or overly cheesy.
Heart Eyes melds the funny with the grossly gory which is the perfect recipe for a date night movie this Valentine's Day. There is a sweet romance, a myriad of murderous methods to kill people, and some laughs. Imagine if a Rom/Com and a slasher film made a love child and you might get the right idea about Heart Eyes. Throw in some decent songs, typical locations, usable set decorations (can anyone say flagpole?), and a crazy villain and you can rest assured you are in for a good movie.
Heart Eyes boasts a great cast, buckets of blood, a good script, and sharp direction and you would be missing out if you didn't see it.
Grade: B
