'Heart Eyes' movie review: Cuddle up to this genre-mashing Valentine's Day massacre

There is an art to the horror romantic comedy. Too much gore will alienate those looking for something fun but somewhat dangerous. Too much lovey-dovey stuff, though, and you might as well watch “Sweet Home Alabama” (which is just so bad it’s scary).

The holiday slasher flick “Heart Eyes” (★★★ out of four; rated R; in theaters Friday) takes a sharp machete to all that. Yes, it does juggle the many tropes of two different genres but the gory romp boasts an impressive mean streak, entertaining leads and an excellent hook: masked psycho hits up a new big city to gut couples every Valentine’s Day.

This year, the carnage has come to Seattle but no one seems to be that concerned. Certainly not Ally (Olivia Holt), who’s got bigger problems than being the next victim of the notorious Heart Eyes Killer (or HEK, for short). She’s smarting from a recent breakup and is also under pressure to pull off an amazing ad campaign for a jewelry company. Her latest pitch hinges on doomed lovers – more Grim Reaper than Cupid – and she’s worried she’s going to be canned by her slightly bananas, Anna Wintourian boss (Michaela Watkins).

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So, a good time for a meet-cute. At a coffee shop, she bumps into the suavely charismatic Jay (Mason Gooding), and they share a favorite espresso order as well as a penchant for bonking each other in the face and head. Just when you think these two crazy kids are made for each other, he turns out to be the marketing whiz brought in to save her project.

A work dinner causes even more of a rift between jaded Ally and hopeless romantic Jay, but when she sees her ex, she plants a major smooch on Jay to make the dude jealous. Unfortunately, HEK also witnesses the kiss and begins a dogged pursuit of the not-really-a-couple that makes their night torturous yet also brings Ally and Jay together closer than your average first date. (Having arrows shot at your head will do that.)

The filmmakers involved, director Josh Ruben (“Werewolves Within”) and co-writer Christopher Landon (“Happy Death Day”), are top-notch in the horror game at mixing up styles. “Heart Eyes” leans less original than their greatest hits, overdoing it with the rom-com cliches – you wouldn't be wrong calling it "His Girl Friday the 13th" – and climaxing with a finale that hews too closely to the slasher template.

Thankfully, the Heart Eyes Killer is an inspired choice in look and execution. The light-up heart eyes on the mask are an extremely nice touch – and they’ve got night vision, which helps in the murdering. Leaving lovers a bloody mess is a kink with this guy, which is reflected in his leather outfit with a utility belt of sharp objects, but HEK is also not above using whatever’s around him as a weapon, from a handy tire iron to a wine press. You’ve not lived as a horror fan until you've seen a head crushed like a ripe grape in one of those things.

Holt and Gooding are enjoyable to watch run for their lives, and their roles are interestingly gender-flipped at times. (The tall and ripped Jay – who has a few “final boy” moments – argues, “These muscles were not made for violence, they were made for cuddling!”) Having Devon Sawa and Jordana Brewster, both veterans of late ’90s/2000s horror fare, play the investigating cops is also a nice touch.

“Heart Eyes” is tastier than a box of candy hearts, unleashes some highly entertaining kills and sticks mostly to its genre scripts. But if it drags even one horror-hating significant other over to the dark side, that’s a bloody win.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 'Heart Eyes' review: A Valentine's Day horror movie that kills it