ⓘ Details

Movie TitleHeart Eyes

Release DateFebruary 7, 2025

TaglineNo couple is safe.

Runtime97 minutes

DirectorJosh Ruben

Screenplay Written ByPhillip Murphy, Christopher Landon & Michael Kennedy

Based OnOriginal screenplay

Is It a Remake?No. Heart Eyes is an original romantic comedy slasher.

BudgetApproximately $18 million

Box OfficeApprox. $30.4 million domestic / Approx. $33.1 million worldwide

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👥 Main Cast

Olivia HoltAlly McCabe

Mason GoodingJay Simmonds

Gigi ZumbadoMonica

Michaela WatkinsCrystal Cane

Devon SawaDetective Zeke Hobbs

Jordana BrewsterDetective Jeanine Shaw

Yoson AnDavid

Bronwyn BradleyFran

Chris ParkerTommy

Latham GainesNico

Lauren O’HaraAdeline Garrett

Alex WalkerCollin

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🏆 Awards

⭐ Hollywood Music in Media Awards Nominee — Best Original Score, Horror / Thriller Film, Jay Wadley

⭐ Hawaii Film Critics Society Awards Nominee — IMDb lists Heart Eyes with a 2026 HFCS nomination.

⭐ IMDb currently lists the film with 3 nominations total.

⭐ No Academy Award, Golden Globe, BAFTA, or Saturn Award nominations were verified for the film.

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📖 Short Plot Summary

For several years, the Heart Eyes Killer has terrorized couples on Valentine’s Day. In Seattle, coworkers Ally and Jay are mistaken for a couple while pulling overtime, putting them directly in the masked killer’s sights. As the night turns into a bloody citywide chase, their fake-rom-com situation becomes a real fight for survival — and maybe, unfortunately for them, a real date.

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❝ Key Quotes

“No couple is safe.” — Tagline

“Stay single. Stay safe.” — Tagline

“For the past several years, the Heart Eyes Killer has wreaked havoc on Valentine’s Day.” — Official synopsis

“This Valentine’s Day, no couple is safe.” — Official synopsis

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💡 Trivia

Director

Heart Eyes was directed by Josh Ruben, known for blending horror and comedy in projects like Scare Me and Werewolves Within.
Ruben came aboard the film on Valentine’s Day 2024 and completed the project in less than a year.
The screenplay was written by Phillip Murphy, Christopher Landon, and Michael Kennedy.
The movie mixes two very different formulas: a glossy rom-com setup and a holiday slasher body count.

Cast / Casting

Olivia Holt stars as Ally McCabe, a Seattle advertising worker having a spectacularly bad Valentine’s Day.
Mason Gooding plays Jay Simmonds, Ally’s coworker and accidental “date” for the evening of murder.
Devon Sawa and Jordana Brewster play detectives Zeke Hobbs and Jeanine Shaw.
Gigi Zumbado plays Monica, Ally’s friend, while Michaela Watkins plays Crystal Cane, Ally and Jay’s boss.

Soundtrack / Score

The score was composed by Jay Wadley.
Lakeshore Records released the original motion picture soundtrack digitally on February 14, 2025.
Wadley’s score received a Hollywood Music in Media Awards nomination for Best Original Score in a horror / thriller film.
The music supports the film’s tonal mashup: slick romantic comedy one minute, bloody slasher mayhem the next.

Location

The story is set in Seattle, Washington.
Despite the Seattle setting, the film was shot in Auckland, New Zealand.
Filming took place in New Zealand in June 2024.
The Seattle setting gives the movie a rainy, urban Valentine’s-night backdrop while production used New Zealand locations to stand in for the city.

Behind-The-Scenes

The film was produced by Spyglass Media Group and Divide/Conquer.
Screen Gems released the film in North America through Sony Pictures Releasing.
The movie opened theatrically in the United States on February 7, 2025, one week before Valentine’s Day.
The film grossed approximately $33.1 million worldwide against an estimated $18 million budget.
A sequel, Heart Eyes 2, has been scheduled for release in February 2028.

Nostalgia

Heart Eyes continues the tradition of holiday-themed slashers, only swapping Halloween and Christmas for Valentine’s Day.
The film plays with romantic comedy clichés — meet-cutes, workplace chemistry, big-city dating panic — then runs them through a slasher filter.
It fits into the modern meta-slasher wave while also leaning into date-night horror fun.
For Seattle-area viewers, the setting adds a local hook, even though the movie was filmed in New Zealand.

Easter Eggs

The title refers to both the heart-eyes emoji and the killer’s glowing heart-shaped mask.
The movie’s release date was timed to land just before Valentine’s Day.
The tagline “Stay single. Stay safe.” turns dating-app anxiety into slasher logic.
The “couple-hunting killer” premise lets the film spoof romance tropes while still delivering traditional stalk-and-slash sequences.

Misc.

Heart Eyes is rated R for strong violence and gore, language, and some sexual content.
Rotten Tomatoes’ critics consensus praised the film as a mix of gory slasher and sweet rom-com.
The Numbers lists the opening weekend at approximately $8.3 million from 3,102 theaters.
Your 3 Guys and a Flick ratings page lists the episode as Episode 249, with Don rating it 3.25, Ken rating it 1.00, Jon rating it 3.25, and an overall rating of 2.50.

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