The historical roots of the Valentine's Day, which is always celebrated with – always more expensive – gifts are anything but romantic. The namesake is St. Valentinus, who not only healed numerous sick people in the 3rd century AD, but also dared to have lovers on lovers against the will of the Church. For that he was finally beheaded as a thank you! It is therefore not surprising that the list of slasher strips that play on the “Day of Loves” is not even so short: “Bloody Valentine's Day” (1981), the remake “My Bloody Valentine” (2009) and “Cry” (in the original only “Valentine”, 2001) are certainly among the best-known representatives.
With an original approach, it is possible “Heart Eyes-the couple killer“Nevertheless, to get new, emphasized bloody aspects of the whole romantic bohe. As already in his video game adaptation“ Werewolves Within ”, which was traded as an insider tip, director Josh Ruben proves to be safe when combining atmospheric horror and Alberner comedy-whereby he still puts one on it with a romantic and kitsch love story. The appreciation of the theatrical release in Australia, New Zealand and Great Britain on time for Valentine's Day this year also appreciated the audience and film criticism, so that the Slasher-Romcom-Genremix currently holds a very solid rating of 75 percent positive ratings in Rotten tomatoes. But even that has not changed that “Heart Eyes” still appears directly as a VoD offer in this country.
Really with heart eyes: The Heart-Eyes killer sees that you as a serial killer have to adapt fashionably to the “Day of Love”!
The Heart-Eyes killer has been up to mischief on Valentine's Day for two years-and apparently kills in love in various cities. This year he chose Seattle as a hunting area: In the east coast metropolis, Ally McCabe (Olivia Holt) fears after a failed campaign for a jewelry manufacturer for her job as a creative strength in an advertising agency.
For the urgently needed damage limitation, the company boss Crystal Cane (Michaela Watkins) hires a handsome and deeply romantic freelancer. The Elly and Jay (Mason Gooding) disappointed by love previously meet for a – of course purely business – dinner, which nevertheless ends in a passionate kiss. But there is no time for romance, because the Heart-Eyes killer has observed a kiss of all things and is now targeting them-and the two are not even a couple (yet) …
With a monkey tooth into the wine pressed-
The first ten-insanely fast-paced-film minutes show what potential in “Heart Eyes-The Couple Killer”: In the prologue, a young couple stages a wedding application on a sink with rose arrangement at sunrise. The kitschy scenario is underlaid with silly pop, but the groom in Spe proves to be a tumber from Trottel because, contrary to the explicit wishes of his future, he hid the ring in a strawberry. But we will never find out whether she would have held this faux pas a year later, because the masked killer with a heart shape shoots an arrow through his head.
The bride that is no longer prospective is not much better: on her escape through endless rows of vines, she hides in a wine press – with rather mushy consequences. Rarely was romcom-clichés in the stylized wedding high-gloss look so bloody and at the same time atmospherically dense and exciting! In contrast, Ally's Morbid advertising campaign with the topic “Until death is separated” is much more harmless, even if you provoke an unqual like in view of the serial killer headlines. In the following, very consciously shallow 20 -minute minutes, the actual film couple comes closer – garnished with all sorts of sophisticated dialogues (disappointed) love. One almost believes that they have ended up in a painting-after-number-Romcom when the Heart-Eyes killer brings a stop to the rinsed rinsed too softly.
Because the Heart Eyes killer-wrongly-believes that they are a couple, Ally (Olivia Holt) and Jay (Mason Gooding) have to run for their lives all night.
The genre-experienced actor couple then continues to declare the two genres horror and Romcom: Mason Gooding (“Scream VI”) embodies the sensitive and fine-spiritual sofie Jay with an enchanting smile-but emphasizes very clearly against the (or?) Killer. Olivia Holt (“Totally Killer”) gives the unsettled Ally sympathetically tapsy if, for example, when she first visited Jay, she tries not to make her vibrator disappear-but later she proves unexpected fighter qualities.
Admittedly, there is not really much substance in the script, in which the “Freaky” team Christopher Landon and Michael Kennedy is also involved: For example, the interrogation with a (naturally!) Innocent suspect, which the perpetrator was undermined, are unnecessarily pulled. But even such scenes in a strongly darkened police station are clipped up with some punch lines: For example, an aggressive-woven policeman duo bears the names Hobbs and Shaw-a reference in the direction of “Fast & Furios” series.
Finally it gets really bloody
In the last third, the genre twitter, twisted in New Zealand Auckland, runs again for top form during a real massacre in the car cinema. The final in a church brings love and drives together with a disturbing-coating resolution to the killer identity-and also has a real gore-delicious bites:
When a person is only piled up through the neck until the head slowly separates from the body, the Slasher audience gets his money's worth again-while freshly in love or frozen couples will finally regret at the latest with a truly disgusting vomit scene, of all things to have strayed for Valentine's date of all things.
Conclusion: Even if the genre mix of romantic-harmless comedy and hearty gore inlays not always work completely round, “Heart Eyes-The Pärchen-Killer” succeeds in an entertaining settlement with the common clichés of both genres.