the Best Meta slasher since Scream
Summary
Heart Eyes is one of the best slashers I’ve seen for a few years; it’s darkly comedic, never taking itself too seriously but still manages to fit in some gruesome kills and a cheeky sense of fun.
Plot: For the past several years, the “Heart Eyes Killer” has wreaked havoc on Valentine’s Day by stalking and murdering romantic couples. This Valentine’s Day, no couple is safe.
Review: It’s been a while since I’ve seen a good old fashioned slasher flick on the big screen, but the trailers to Heart Eyes grabbed by attention and I thought it looked like it might be fun. It’s a bizarre mixture of romantic comedy crossed with a slasher; it shouldn’t work and yet, it does almost perfectly. This is a film that keeps its tongue planted firmly in its cheek rarely taking itself too seriously and yet it still manages to have a cool new slasher icon in HEK (Heart Eyes Killer) who kills couples on Valentines Day every year.
Olivia Holt plays our appealing lead Ally; she’s been unlucky in love and is cynical about romance however, when she meets Jay Simmons (Mason Gooding) the two have an undeniable spark. The only problem is HEK has them in his sights so they ending up being chased around the city trying to avoid being killed while also falling for each other.
Heart Eyes manages to have some gruesome kills, plenty of laughs and a genuine sense of nasty fun. The added bonus of Devon Sawa and Jordana Brewster to the cast helps as well.
The music score is classic slasher stuff and is at its best during the chase scenes.
A particular highlight is the drive-in sequence towards the end which was my favourite. It could have maybe done with an extra kill or two in the first half which focuses more on the romance side of things, but it’s never less than entertaining.
Overall, Heart Eyes is a bloody good time and arguably the best meta slasher since Scream.