Heart Eyes – Review | Netflix (4/5)

HEART EYES on Netflix is a new horror slasher with a kitsch rom-com element and a serial killer going after couples on Valentine’s Day. For me, this is an immediate new horror classic that I will definitely be watching on V Day as a tradition. Read our full Heart Eyes movie review here and find it on Netflix (US) now!

HEART EYES on Netflix is a new horror movie. It’s a slasher horror movie full of camp and kitsch moments. Chock-full of pop culture references to both horror movies and (especially) iconic rom-coms.

The slasher killer, the movie is named after, only hunts on Valentine’s Day and goes after couples. This is why we’re getting so many references to romance movies. It’s a crazy combination that works extremely well, thanks to nuanced yet often stereotypical characters and casting fan favorites in key roles.

Continue reading our Heart Eyes horror movie review below. Find it on Netflix in the US from May 8, 2025.

Campy Romance Horror Slasher on Netflix

From Heart Eyes premiered in movie theaters earlier this year, fans and critics alike have been overwhelmingly positive. No doubt, the fan base of this new horror movie will grow enormously with the premiere of the romance horror slasher on Netflix.

We already have a few Valentine’s Day horror movies, but this is an immediate new favorite of mine. Of course, it does also lean heavily into horror-comedy, which I love, while being an absolute slasher.

Love is in the air, but so is murder, and the Heart Eyes serial killer could easily carry a franchise along the lines of Ghostface in Scream. Fingers crossed that we will actually be getting that.

In this horror movie, it’s all about the “Heart Eyes Killer” who has wreaked havoc on Valentine’s Day. For the past two years, the killer has been stalking and murdering romantic couples. This Valentine’s Day, no couple is safe, and the day has arrived in Seattle.

For this first movie, we’re following one young woman as she becomes the target of Heart Eyes despite being single and miserable. But hey, it all just might end up leading to romance anyway. After all, love works in mysterious ways.

Fan favorite galore in Heart Eyes

The cast of Heart Eyes feels very much like a fan favorite love fest, as the movie is chock-full of iconic horror actors. And even more references to both horror and other iconic movies and scenes.

From Jordana Brewster, who most may know from the Fast and the Furious franchise, but horror fans will recognize her from the 2006 The Texas Chainsaw Massacre reboot sequel, and most recently, the horror-thriller Cellar Door, to Devon Sawa of Final Destination, Consumed, and the Chucky series.

In the two lead roles as the doomed would-be couple are Olivia Holt from Cruel Summer and Totally Killer as Ally, and Mason Gooding from the 2022 Scream requel and the height-horror Fall, as Jay.

While the casting is great, you should also pay attention to the many pop culture references and movie titles that are mentioned throughout. Easter Eggs are plentiful, and I am certain I’ll catch many more upon a rewatch. And yes, I will be rewatching Heart Eyes.

Even the name of the Jewelry brand, Crystal Cane, is Camp Crystal (Friday the 13th) and Candy Cane (Joy Ride) combined. All over this movie are little tidbits and details from other movies. Oh, and the kill scenes are slasher galore and deliciousness!

Watch Heart Eyes on Netflix now!

The director of Heart Eyes is Josh Ruben. He is an actor, writer, and director who many horror fans will already be familiar with in one capacity if not another.

He wrote, directed, and starred in Scare Me, which is a solid horror comedy that you should definitely check out as well. Also, Josh Ruben was in the recent The Creep Tapes series alongside Mark Duplass.

As writers, we have Philip Murphy, Michael Kennedy (It’s a Wonderful Knife), and Christopher Landon. Again, there’s a very familiar name as Christopher Landon is the filmmaker behind Happy Death Day. Also, he’s behind Freaky, the writer of several Paranormal Activity movies, and made Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse.

If you’re looking for something along the lines of the Scream horror franchise, then Heart Eyes is perfect for you. For me, this is an immediate new horror classic that I look forward to watching on Valentine’s Day.

Heart Eyes is on Netflix US from May 8, 2025.