For the past two years, the “Heart Eyes Killer” has wreaked havoc on Valentine’s Day by stalking and murdering romantic couples. When a cynical ad executive and her hopelessly romantic colleague become the next target, they decide to fight back and end the reign of terror. A film by Josh Ruben, starring Olivia Holt, Mason Gooding, Gigi Zumbado, Michaela Watkins, Devon Sawa, and Jordana Brewster.

This Valentine’s Day, the United States is once again on high alert as the notorious masked killer known as the Heart Eyes Killer , or HEK for short, returns. For the past two years, this maniac has turned a day meant for romance into a nightmare, targeting, hunting, and brutally murdering couples. Authorities believe HEK chooses cities at random, following a blood-soaked rampage in Boston two years ago and a second killing spree that left several dead in Philadelphia last year.

Criminologist Dr. S.D. Wampler warns that while HEK primarily targets couples in love, he won’t hesitate to kill anyone who gets in his way. This year, the Heart Eyes Killer has set his sights on Seattle, starting with the brutal murders of two couples — one at a local winery and another at a spa.

Ally McCabe (Olivia Holt) recently broke up with her boyfriend but she still can’t stop herself from stalking his social media. Even though she was the one who ended things, she’s upset that he’s moved on so quickly — especially now that he has a new girlfriend.

While at a café with her best friend, Monica (Gigi Zumbado), Ally meets a handsome young man who happens to order the same coffee as her. There’s an instant connection between them, but Ally, still wary after her recent breakup, tries to brush it off, not wanting to risk another heartbreak so soon. As they chat, Ally proudly shows him the metal straw she carries, explaining how much she dislikes paper straws. But things take an awkward turn when, in a clumsy moment, she accidentally bumps her head into his nose, causing it to bleed. Panicked by the sight of blood, Ally quickly makes a hasty exit, leaving the encounter behind.

At the office of the high-end jewelry brand Crystal Cane, Ally’s boss, Crystal Cane (Michaela Watkins), is horrified by Ally’s campaign idea for the brand: “Till Death Do Us Part.” Crystal’s assistant Tommy (Chris Parker) points out that profiting off the deaths of couples to sell rings is not only tasteless but especially insensitive given that the notorious Heart Eyes Killer has returned to strike again this Valentine’s Day.

Ally and Monica are stunned when Crystal introduces Jay Simmonds (Mason Gooding), the youngest freelancer to win a Clio Award—and the same handsome guy Ally accidentally smashed in the nose at the coffee shop earlier. Crystal hires him to lead a new romantic campaign for the brand and insists that Ally work with him. Ally, however, immediately becomes defensive, convinced that Jay is there to replace her.

The Clio Awards are a prestigious international competition that recognizes excellence in advertising and related creative fields. Founded in 1959, the Clios celebrate innovative and impactful work across various categories, including advertising, sports, fashion, music, entertainment, and healthcare. The awards are judged by industry peers and are known for their rigorous selection process, with fewer than 5% of entries receiving a statue, and less than 1% earning the coveted Gold Clio.

Meanwhile, Detectives Zeke Hobbs (Devon Sawa) and Jeanine Shaw (Jordana Brewster) arrive at the winery crime scene. There, they discover a wedding ring with the initials “J.S.” engraved inside. Since it doesn’t match the victim’s, they presume it belongs to the killer.

Jay makes his first move, inviting Ally to dinner at the opulent restaurant L’Oie. He suggests they can discuss and get inspired for the campaign there. Ally initially declines, asking if they could meet tomorrow morning instead. When Jay mentions he has to fly out in the morning for his best friend’s wedding, she reluctantly agrees.

Despite Ally trying to deny her feelings for Jay and insisting it’s not a date, Monica manages to convince her to go shopping for a new outfit to wear to the fancy restaurant. The film then treats us to a montage of Ally and Monica trying on a variety of dresses at the shop, all set to the upbeat tune of Mantra. (Half a star is automatically added to the film’s total score just for featuring Jennie’s song.)

The dinner doesn’t go as planned. Ally ends up hurting Jay’s feelings while trying to defend herself and her belief that love isn’t real. She argues that while some people might get lucky and stumble into something genuine and lasting, 99% of the population is just bouncing from one failed relationship to the next, chasing the same unrealistic fairytale. After Jay walks away from the restaurant, Ally feels guilty and rushes after him to apologize. Suddenly, she spots her ex-boyfriend Collin with his new girlfriend. In a moment of impulse, Ally decides to kiss Jay — not out of genuine affection, but to make Collin see that she’s moved on and found someone new too.

Ally and Jay are surprised when Collin reveals that tonight was supposed to be a double date, but another couple was murdered by the Heart Eyes Killer. Jay is shocked that Collin still kept the reservation despite the tragedy, but Collin insists it’s a dinner in honor of the victims. Unbeknownst to the four of them, the Heart Eyes Killer is watching them from a distance. Collin (Ben Black) and Sienna (Karishma Grebneff) were originally his next targets, but after witnessing Ally passionately kiss Jay, he changes his mind — and now has his sights set on Ally and Jay instead.

Directed by American filmmaker Josh Ruben from a screenplay written by Phillip Murphy, Christopher Landon, and Michael Kennedy, HEART EYES is a slasher film about a notorious serial killer who targets couples on Valentine’s Day while wearing a mask with glowing heart-shaped eye holes.

The villain is well-designed, sporting an unsettling yet memorable smiley mask with iconic heart-shaped holes for the eyes. At times, he feels enigmatic, almost superhuman in strength, and his relentless pursuit of his targets evokes the terrifying persistence of Jason Voorhees (Friday the 13th) or Michael Myers (Halloween). The kills are equally creative and visceral, adding to the film’s intensity.

While some of the dialogue can come off as cheesy, it’s passable for a romantic comedy. Where the film truly shines, however, is in the logic and decisions of its main characters. Ally, for instance, avoids making unrealistic choices — she doesn’t venture into a dark room unprepared, and when faced with danger, she logically abandons Jay to save herself. Her actions feel grounded and relatable.

The film also excels at building suspense and playing with expectations. It cleverly uses ambiguity to keep the audience guessing and second-guessing the killer’s identity, while subtly dropping hints and clues for those paying close attention. If you look closely enough, you might just piece together the mystery before the big reveal.

Slasher romantic comedy shouldn’t work but it did, brilliantly.

HEART EYES was theatrically released in the United States on 7 February 2025, by Sony Pictures.

HEART EYES Cinematographer Stephen Murphy is All For Blood and Guts
I have a brief background in special makeup effects, so I’m all for blood and guts — it just depends on the intention and tone for how they’re used. I don’t necessarily take pleasure in hyper-realistic gore, but the way we used blood in Heart Eyes made me laugh—probably more than I should. As a DP, you fall in love with liquids, reflective surfaces, and anything that catches the light and spec your highlights. Blood is beautiful on camera. In prep, we tested different colors and types of blood to ensure that, even in dark lighting, it still had the right color and texture. I thought it worked fantastically.

Jordana Brewster, Devon Sawa, and Gigi Zumbado Share the Joys of Making Horror Movies
Josh makes you feel comfortable on set. I think that you can work with directors who are very serious, maybe they’re yellers, and it just becomes a tense environment, and it’s hard to work through, but Josh keeps it light, and it’s a comfortable, safe place to explore things that may or may not work. When you hear Josh singing the theme to Shrek at the end of a take, you know you’ve just nailed it, and you’re moving on.

Olivia Holt and Mason Gooding Share Secrets for the Perfect Horror Rom-Com Chemistry
When we first met, we were in a makeup room, and we hadn’t had an interaction. There was no camera read. I obviously am a big fan of Olivia, and that still carries through to this day, but there were enough people, and there was enough commotion going on, and I was just trying to think of, like, “How do I engage with her that doesn’t make me look like a dweeb, but also is memorable and maybe makes her feel comfortable and like I’m here to have a good time and make a good movie?” And before I could think of anything, she walked across all the people, came over, and was like, “Hi, I’m Olivia. I’ve heard so much about you. I’m very excited to work with you.” And I was like, “Alright, I’m in.” That’s all it took.

HEART EYES Director Josh Ruben Discusses Blending Meet-Cutes and Bloodbaths to Create an Unforgettable Valentine’s Day Slasher
There was a great Craig Zobel show called Mare of Easttown. I remember an interview where he was asked about how he approached the mystery, the whodunit aspect of it all. I believe he would have actors do takes less suspicious, more suspicious, most suspicious. So, there were a couple of opportunities where I would just pick a random actor, a random take, a random moment, and say, “Just play this a little more suspicious, just so we have the option of you being shady so we can throw audiences off the scent.” I think it worked.

HEART EYES Screenwriters Talk Creative Slasher Kills and Reveal the Killer’s Original Mask Design
Screenwriters Phillip Murphy (The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard) and Christopher Landon (Happy Death Day, Freaky) & Michael Kennedy (Freaky) seamlessly marry the slasher and rom-com genres together for one entertaining, gory romp centered around an emoji mask-inspired killer who stalks and hunts couples on the most romantic holiday of the year. It may come as no surprise that Heart Eyes originated from a date gone wrong. Great chemistry in a Zoom chat didn’t translate in person, but it did leave Phillip Murphy with killer inspiration.