Two completely different movies are vying for couples’ attention this Valentine’s Day weekend. Only one deserves it.
“Love Hurts” and “Heart Eyes” both opened in theaters Feb. 7, just in time for Valentine’s Day. Movie lovers might be wondering which to watch — an action comedy that promises romantic thrills, or a spine-chilling horror comedy.
“Love Hurts” attempts to blend humor, action and romance, but yields mediocre to bad results at all three. The story is about Marvin (Ke Huy Quan), a happy-go-lucky realtor who loves to help people. Once he receives a Valentine’s Day card from a dead coconspirator, he finds himself back in his crime-ridden past, looking for answers and finding fistfights along the way.
On paper, this premise seems promising. But even with a solid foundation, the film falls flat. The acting from Oscar-winning lead Quan is one of two unequivocally good elements from the movie. The other is the action. Many of the set pieces feature excellent choreography, energetic camerawork and creative twists that add to the fun. But in the movie’s second act, where Quan and a surprisingly dull Ariana DeBose explore Marvin’s dark past, all that is left for the audience is clunky exposition, boring explanations and comedy that doesn’t land most of the time. DeBose’s role as Rose, a mob accountant who escaped the clutches of her bosses with Marvin’s help, is painfully underwritten. When the action returns in the third act, it feels like too little, too late by the time the first punch is thrown. Quan and DeBose have almost zero chemistry, so their eventual romance feels stale.
“Heart Eyes” combines horror with romantic comedy, hitting all the right notes in the right places. The premise follows Ally (Olivia Holt), a down-on-her-luck marketing campaign leader and Jay (Mason Gooding), a charming hot shot marketing freelancer fleeing from the bloody clutches of the titular Heart Eyes Killer. This setup leads to a slasher movie that is entertaining from the opening cheesy shot to the last bloody kill.
Gooding and Holt’s begrudging but budding chemistry pops right off the screen throughout most of the runtime. Set up as slight rivals at the beginning, Ally and Jay find themselves dependent on each other for survival against the Heart Eyes Killer. The violence is quite intense, and the gore does not disappoint. From an awkward dinner to an incredibly bloody final showdown, Ally and Jay’s misadventures with the Heart Eyes Killer on Valentine’s Day harken back to simpler slashers like “My Bloody Valentine” (1981) and “Scream” (1996).
Conclusion: “Love Hurts” promises bombastic action and fun romance, but falls flat in nearly every element. Even its action suffers from the movie’s lopsided pacing.
“Heart Eyes” checks all the boxes needed for a fun slasher, but goes beyond what’s expected for that “it factor” not many slashers of its ilk have.
If there’s one choice to make with a loved one this Valentine’s Day at the movies, it’s clear. “Heart Eyes” delivers thrills, chills, killer humor and a wonderful romance, making it the complete package for movie lovers, regular lovers and the general audience.
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