Heart Eyes Movie Review

“Heart Eyes” is a movie that takes a standard Romantic Comedy, but then veers off course into the Horror/Slasher realm. It first wants to warm the cockles of your heart, and then it turns around and pretty much tries to cut that sucker out of your chest. It is a delicate balancing act, and it does not quite pull it off.

The main action revolves around Ally (played by Olivia Holt). She has a marketing job at a company in Seattle. Her boss is named Crystal (played by Michaela Watkins), and she is furious. The high-priced diamonds they sell have a new TV ad campaign designed by Ally. Released on Valentine’s Day, the ads feature famous lovers from the past who have died together. Not a happy thought for selling jewelry…

Also in Seattle that morning is a weird Serial Killer, nicknamed the ‘Heart Eyes’ killer. This fiend only kills on Valentine’s Day. This HEK goes after a particular pair of lovers. Any other person who stands in the way of the HEK is also slashed and hacked. Ally thinks that it’s good she had dumped her boyfriend.

She has a goofy best friend named Monica (played by Gigi Zumbado). Monica says that Ally should stop obsessing over her ex — and go out to find a new romance. But Ally is too worried now that her boss has brought in a hot-shot creative type to redo the ad campaign. This guy is named Jay (played by Mason Gooding) and he is quick thinking and smooth talking.

Jay wants to meet Ally at a restaurant to go over that ad campaign. Jay says he is all about the ads, but he really is interested in Ally. They leave, and Ally takes Jay and kisses him right on the street. She was trying to get her ex-boyfriend jealous. But they do not know there is a stalker down the street.

The diabolical psychopath who kills couples is now in Seattle. HEK is in hiding, because earlier in the day, there were gruesome murders of young lovers at a local winery. HEK has now decided to make this sweet young couple, who look very much in love, his next victims. Of course Ally and Jay do not know that — yet. They only met today, after all.

Ally and Jay wind up at her apartment. HEK is there to eliminate these targets.  The killer leaps out and tries to kill them both. They escape and go on the run. Jay gets sidelined, and Ally makes a run for it. She turns up in an empty park. HEK follows her there with intent to kill.

The police show up and now HEK makes a run for it. The police soon inform Ally that HEK has been found. But in the back a police car is the person captured — Jay. Ally meets up with two detectives in charge.

These are Detective Hobbs (played by Devon Sawa) and partner Detective Shaw (played by Jordana Brewster). These officers have no comment on their names. Ally explains that Jay was not the killer. All are brought into the station.

Strangely, the police station is mostly empty. Ally tries to get Jay released. Det. Hobbs continues to question Jay. Det. Shaw tries to let Ally know they might have the right suspect. Another police woman is at the front desk and the police IT guy are also hanging around. The only uninvited guest is the Heart Eyes Killer.

Jay is able to get freed, and he and Ally get away. They are not sure if anyone else did. Unsure of where to go, they head to a waterfront park. There is a makeshift drive-in set up, and there are many lovers watching a romantic movie. Opps — that is not the best place to lead a crazy couple-obsessed killer.

It seems for a while that Ally and Jay have defeated their foe. HEK is vanquished and in a body bag. Jay is due to leave for another gig in another town. Ally sighs of relief, but she also sighs that Jay needs to leave. It’s a good thing that Detective Shaw happened to be there to take Jay to the airport.

Ally’s friend Monica calls and gives here a big motivational speech about chasing her dream. Monica is able to name drop just about every Romantic Movie in the book. She tells Ally that Jay is worth any effort to get him back. But after that call, Ally gets a different call. It is from HEK — the Killer who will not quit.

Ally is told where to go so she can save her ‘boyfriend’. But further secrets that get revealed and motivations are confounding. The unlikely ‘lovers’, Jay and Ally, are pitted against one of the oddest Serial Killers ever. But can these two reach inside to get in touch with their feelings? Can they bring down the Heart Eyes Killer for good?

“Heart Eyes” has the difficult task of balancing a story of romance (Ally and Jay) with the horrible presence of the ‘Heart Eyes’ killer.  Comedy mixed with Romance and spine-tingling Horror is very tough to make work together.

It does work for the first part, where the focus is on Ally and Jay. Olivia Holt and Mason Gooding play these parts very well, and they have a good chemistry on the screen. These are quite enjoyable characters with some fun interactions.

But the final third of the movie is where it starts to unravel. When the focus turns to the ‘secrets’ of HEK, it goes from mild comedy to bonkers absurdity. That aspect of the movie almost eliminates all of the goodwill and potential from the first part.

Any other people in the movie are only briefly important. Gigi Zumbado (Monica) does a good job with being the wacky best fried. Her little speech to motivate Ally is terrific. Michaela Watkins (Crystal) has a few good lines. Devon Sawa and Jordana Brewster do not have a huge part to add to the movie. Except maybe towards the end…

“Heart Eyes” is one of those hybrid movies that probably would have done better if it had stayed as one genre. Romance/Comedy/Horror – maybe their ‘heart’ was not in it…