Heart Eyes (2024) Movie Review | Love Death, and a Killer Twist

I’m about a month late watching Heart Eyes, but honestly? Better late than never. I finally caught it in theaters, and to my surprise, there were only two other people in the entire theater with me — a perfect setup for a chilling horror movie like this.

For those unfamiliar, Heart Eyes follows two characters, Jay Simmons and Ally McCabe, as they navigate both a high-pressure marketing campaign and the chaos of a serial killer on the loose. The killer, known as the Heart Eye Killer, targets couples around Valentine’s Day — and anyone else who dares get in their way. It’s a classic “whodunit” slasher wrapped in romance and holiday horror, and honestly? I was here for it.

But let me break down my thoughts on the film.

A Familiar But Fun Premise

The concept of a masked killer terrorizing people during a holiday isn’t groundbreaking. If you’ve seen Thanksgiving (2023), you’ll notice similar vibes — a killer striking during a holiday while people insist on keeping the celebration alive, despite the growing body count. In Thanksgiving, the townspeople refused to cancel the parade, and in Heart Eyes, the corporate world refused to cancel Valentine’s Day, even with a literal killer on the loose.

And yet, despite the familiar premise, Heart Eyes felt fresh in its own right. The film found clever ways to intertwine romance and horror, giving us moments where you’d start swooning over Jay and Ally’s chemistry — only to be yanked back into terror by another murder. The whiplash of emotions? 10/10.

The Romance Hook

Okay, I’ll admit — I ate up the romance subplot. It was obvious from the jump that Jay and Ally were going to end up falling for each other, but the way the movie unraveled their story still had me locked in. Ally is this super guarded, borderline anti-love marketing executive who messes up a big Valentine’s Day campaign. Enter Jay, who’s basically hired to help clean up her mess — but also (unknowingly) crack open her heart.

Their chemistry built up naturally throughout the movie, and I loved watching Ally slowly let her guard down. Even in the midst of a serial killer on the loose, the film still managed to make space for a blossoming love story, which added to the overall tension. Like, can you really afford to fall in love when you might get killed tomorrow?

The Killer and The Twist

Let’s get into the juicy part — the killer.

So, Heart Eyes does a solid job of making you second-guess almost everyone in the movie. And when they finally showed the killer unmasked in a scene (only to later confirm that the killing spree wasn’t finished), my spidey senses went off. I clocked them immediately. I just knew they were the one under the mask — and I was right.

But here’s where the movie really got me — even though I figured out the identity of the killer early on, there was still more to unravel. The final act of the film felt rushed, chaotic, and unresolved — and I loved it. Like, I was genuinely irritated when I thought the movie was about to wrap up without giving us full closure, but then bam — the twist. I realized the rushed feeling was intentional. They wanted us to feel that unfinished tension just like the characters did. Genius.

What Worked and What Didn’t

What I Loved:

• The romance storyline: Predictable, but still very cute.

• The feeling of unease: Even when I thought we were heading toward a clean resolution, the film snatched it away from me — and that’s exactly how horror movies should make you feel.

What I Didn’t Love:

• The pacing: There were moments in the middle that felt a bit dragged out, and then the end felt extremely rushed.

• The killer’s Motive: I didn’t really get a motive. It felt like a cope out, basically the reason for the killing is because they felt like it. I hate that as a reason.

Final Thoughts

Heart Eyes may not have reinvented the horror genre, but it did give us a fun and fresh take on the holiday slasher trope. The mix of romance and horror felt seamless, and while I figured out the killer’s identity early on, the final twist still managed to get under my skin.

If you love movies like Scream, Valentine, or Thanksgiving, Heart Eyes will definitely scratch that horror/holiday itch. And honestly? I kind of hope they make a sequel — because there’s definitely more story to tell. Maybe like a copy cat killer(s) that is attempting to ruin Ally and Jay’s wedding by killing them and finish the work of the last killer.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ (4/5) — and yes, I’ll probably rewatch it next Valentine’s Day.