First Reactions Praise Valentine’s Day Horror Slasher

The slasher movie sub-genre appears to be alive and well in 2025 with Heart Eyes, a new horror effort from Werewolves Within director Josh Ruben and writers Christopher Landon (Happy Death Day), Phillip Murphy and Michael Kennedy. While a slew of horror movies are opening in the first part of the year, including the buzzy AI thriller Companion, signs point to Heart Eyes being the true break out of the bunch if these first reactions to the film are any indication.

On X, @bigscreenleaks said, “#HeartEyes is going to become your latest obsession. A breath of fresh air for the slasher genre, Olivia Holt and Mason Gooding have chemistry for days, delivering every line perfectly and investing you for the long haul. The kills are simply put, BLOODY BEAUTIFUL and a delight.”

@shayhbaz of The Movie Podcast wrote, #HeartEyes is a BLOOD SOAKED campy nightmare that has some of the funniest moments of the year! Mason Gooding & Olivia Holt have effortless chemistry, while Gigi Zumbado brings such chaotic energy to the group! Some great moments that a sequel can refine & build on!”

The Early Praise for ‘Heart Eyes’ Is Universal

The praise continues from @HorrorGirlProbs, who said, “HEART EYES is an absolute blast, sure to become an annual Valentine’s Day watch. Expertly hits all the rom-com AND horror notes. A bespoke slasher with inventive (and stylish) kills likely to end up on end of year best of lists.” @francisdominiic enthusiastically exclaimed, “Y’ALL I DID NOT EXPECT TO LOVE IT BUT HEART EYES WAS SO MUCH FUN!!!!!!! The kills were dope. I need HEART EYES MERCH! I WAS SWOONING! Truly a perfect horror date night movie. I’m impressed and can’t wait to add this to the V-DAY ROSTER of Horror Films! WHAT A SLAY!” You can check out more of these reactions below!

Heart Eyes certainly looks like a blast and comes off as a throwback to My Bloody Valentine in its execution. In the film, two co-workers working late on Valentine’s Day have the misfortune of being mistaken for a couple, and become the latest target of the Heart Eyes Killer. Instead of enjoying a romantic dinner and chocolates, the duo have to spend the night trying to escape from an insane masked killer. The movie stars Olivia Holt, Mason Gooding, Gigi Zumbado, Michaela Watkins, Devon Sawa, and Jordana Brewster.

While this reaction might be a little biased, Sawa recently saw Heart Eyes, and he has infectious praise for the film as well. Following Sawa on X, the enthusiasm for his new projects never comes off as forced. The actor seems extremely excited about the film, and his enthusiasm should make horror fans everywhere very excited about what Heart Eyes has to offer.