Heart Eyes is not just a horror comedy; more specifically, it is a rom-com slasher—two distinct subgenres under the broader umbrella of their respective sanctions. The most impressive thing about what the Heart Eyes gang has pulled off here is that this movie entirely executes the rom-com beats and the slasher beats with adept faithfulness. It's also fun as hell, in no small part due to the leads. Mason Gooding and Olivia Holt take us along for the ride, and you'll be rooting for them every step of the way. But as a performer, how does one seamlessly move from rom-com into the world of a slasher and then back again?
During our recent interview, Gooding cited Jordan Peele's explanation of why horror and comedy go so well together and expands on how their Valentine's Day horror manages to dance in that space, “The marriage between the two genres is actually really cohesive considering the timing and the execution. I feel like Heart Eyes does a really good job of setting up a punchline and delivering it in a way that is both horrific and comedic when it needs to be. But I also like that at times it follows through on its tone and allows it to be a very, in my mind, successful horror movie while still delivering the comedic elements that maybe an audience isn't suspecting.”
On the topic of punchlines, don't underestimate Holt's comedic prowess. So much of the comedy comes directly from some stellar line deliveries that you'll likely be quoting long after the credits roll. One line in particular acts as a hinge between the worlds of rom-com and horror. There is a distinct “before and after” feeling, as Holt described it, “They're sort of living in this romantic headspace for a bit, and then when I say that [line], it's game over.
Gooding has his own moniker for these specific deliveries, “Livisms,” adding, “I want to harp on the delivery aspect in it because it is perfect. It is the right level of frantic as well. Olivia's got some great ‘Livisms‘ that make it very easy to quote.“
When asked about perfect Valentine's Day horror movies, the duo are in agreement that My Bloody Valentine reigns supreme.
“I think horror movies are a perfect date night regardless, so you can't really go wrong,“ says Gooding. “I think the easy one is My Bloody Valentine. Although I will say not to brag, Heart Eyes does achieve a level of emotional catharsis that I have yet to discover in a horror movie. I hope if people are willing and enjoy the movie enough, they'll add it to their queue of Valentine's Day horror movies for that reason specifically.“
Holt is in agreement on the choice and the sentiment, “I was going to say My Bloody Valentine, but I do agree I think that our movie captures a feeling that you don't get with a lot of horror movies like this. I definitely feel like it's for it's for everybody.“
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Taking it a step further, we asked them to program a full Valentine's Day-themed horror movie marathon, and horror buff Gooding gave us his ultimate lineup:
“It would be super simple. It would just end with Heart Eyes finishing strong. Start with Hereditary, and then Insidious because we all love that lipstick demon, and then we've got to go somewhere a little off-kilter, so I'd go Candyman (classic). Then I would do My Bloody Valentine double feature, original into the remake. Then I would do The Descent because I feel like it's been fairly male-centric, so now we've got to switch over to the other side. Then I would do I Saw The TV Glow because I don't know if enough people saw that movie, and it was rad as hell. I would end with Heart Eyes because, hell yeah, the movie's great.”
Can attest, hell yeah, the movie is indeed great. Read our full Heart Eyes review right here, watch our full interview with Mason and Olivia below, and catch Heart Eyes in theaters February 7.
