HEART EYES
Starring: Olivia Holt, Mason Gooding, Gigi Zumbado, Michaela Watkins, Devon Sawa, and Jordana Brewster
Director: Josh Ruben
ADRIANO
Somehow, Heart Eyes just works. Director Josh Ruben (of CollegeHumor fame, I might add) embraces the tropes of both slasher films and rom-coms and blends them well. You've got the fun thrills and gore (while never too excessive) of the slasher genre and the corny rom-com love story at the centre of a film that had me genuinely rooting for Olivia Holt and Mason Gooding's characters to get together. It's not perfect, as there are some unengaging storylines and the ending goes a little too deep into Scream territory, but I can't help it…I really had a blast.
PAIGE
Get ready to eat your heart out because Heart Eyes is a surprisingly fun holiday-themed slasher. It can certainly be difficult to mesh any two genres together, but director Josh Ruben does a great job here juggling the romance, the comedy, and the horror elements throughout. With its cheeky dialogue and gnarly kills, not to mention the amazing chemistry between Olivia Holt and Mason Gooding, the movie just has a lot going for it. Overall, this thing is a bloody good time, even though some of the side plots are pointless.
BRYAN
Heart Eyes has the heart, yet my eyes couldn’t fully stay invested. While a fairly enjoyable blend of slasher and romantic comedy, the storyline lacked much cohesion and suspense to leave me feeling on edge by the twists and turns. The ultimate saving grace is the chemistry between Olivia Holt and Mason Gooding. If their performances weren’t likable, the entire film would’ve fallen flat. Thankfully, there were plenty of well-staged kills, yet I wish the film had found a way of standing on its own. It felt like I was watching a Scream entry without the cleverness.
