By Chris Snellgrove | Published
Slashers usually appeal to men with extreme R ratings, but there’s a new film in the horror genre that’s clearly designed for couples. That movie Eyes of the Heart (2025), a strange (and strangely perverse) film from Josh Ruben, a master of crowd-pleasing horror hits Werewolves Inside again Scare me. Whether you’re planning to stay home for the night or you’re looking for a movie to snuggle up to on the couch, you can stream Eyes of the Heart in all its bloody misery on Netflix.
The foundation of Eyes of the Heart that the masked slasher (Heart Eyes Killer) is notorious for targeting couples in America every Valentine’s Day. His latest target is an unlikely couple: a jewelry advertiser and a freelancer whose boss thinks he’ll help with his latest campaign. Sparks fly between the two instantly, putting them in the crosshairs of the most dangerous killer the world has ever known; by the time the credits roll, he’ll bring this beautiful couple together like never before or leave each of them six feet off the ground.
Killer Cast Breaks Into The Box
The cast of Eyes of the Heart is relatively small, including actors such as Gigi Zumbado (well known outside of this movie Bride Hard). Mostly, though, the film focuses on the on-screen chemistry between Mason Gooding (best known to horror fans for his role in Shout out again Shout out VI) and Olivia Holt (well known to Marvel fans for her starring role Cloak & Dagger). These two are great in their lead roles, and they help sell the film’s main gimmick: namely, that it’s both an overtly violent slasher and a heart-tugging romantic film.
Eyes of the Heart hit theaters, and this red-drenched film was successful enough to make the studio’s original green. Against a budget of $18 million, it earned $33.1 million at the box office. That was enough bloody profit to merit a sequel, and in 2026, it was reported that director Josh Ruben had already finished the script for the sequel and was making further preparations to return to the toast-turvy world he created from the ground up.
When Ugagging For Good Horror
When Eyes of the Heart it turned out, it was exactly the kind of bloody valentine that professional reviewers were expecting. It has a 78 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with critics praising the film for its ability to deliver scares that will make viewers jump out of their seats. They also praised the film for serving as both a heart-pounding horror film and a hearty rom-com, making this a rare flick to enjoy with your significant other who wants to disappear into a heart-warming love story.
That’s a fair assessment, and one I completely share. I am blessed to have a partner love a good slasher (in blood, the better!), but you also like a good love story, that’s why we’re currently watching a very popular period piece, Bridgerton. Eyes of the Heart it’s actually a very suitable compromise film when he wants characters with strong romantic chemistry, and I want a scary villain with a high body count.
A Scarily Loud Voice Strikes Again
Speaking of which, while it’s not the most iconic mask of all time (that honor will always go to Jason Voorhees), Eyes of the Heart the production team deserves full credit for making a memorable villain that looks completely dependent on the film’s bonkers setting. But it’s the reason they mined every last whimper and gasp, and it’s refreshing to see a modern horror comedy whose producers have mastered the first art of slasher craft. That is, that the audience should laugh at everything outside a criminal, who needs to be treated like a dangerous animal, dangerous if you want indeed to intimidate anyone.
Finally, although your grade may be different, I am among the horror movies from director Josh Ruben: with Werewolves Within, he created a fantastic creature feature with serious surprises, and with Scare Me (a film he wrote and starred in), he created a strangely funny meditation on modern fear. Eyes of the Heart his first direct take on the slasher genre, and he proves to be just as innovative and insightful here as he has been in previous films.
Netflix And Kill
At the risk of sounding like a fanboy (hey, you’re guilty!), Ruben is one of the few voices in latter-day spooky movies that has eschewed the cerebral thrills of elevated horror to give us the rarest of pleasures of all: a satisfying trip to the wellspring of ’80s slashers, updated enough to inject new blood into the genre or life it once seemed.
You will admit that Eyes of the Heart Is it a sexy slasher for couples, or would you rather fight a masked killer than watch this one to the end? The only way to find out is to cuddle up on the couch and stream this movie on Netflix. Just remember the horror fan’s words as you watch: couples who scream together stay together!
