I was fortunate this month to see not one but two excellent, love-themed horror films: Companion and Heart Eyes. It’s not easy to pull off a ‘romantic’ horror film – mixing these genres requires the utmost care to ensure you are invested enough in the characters to actually care whether they fall in love…
…or whether they end up as a bloody puddle.
The trailers for Companion didn’t give away much.
In fact (possible spoilers) I had no idea that the female lead, Iris (played by the incredible Sophie Thatcher, hot off Heretic and Yellowjackets) is actually – a robot. I kind of wish I hadn’t known that going in, but I read an article in Rue Morgue prior to seeing the film that let loose a few (but not all, thankfully) of the relevant plot details.
However, that didn’t keep me from enjoying this sweet, blood-soaked story from beginning to end. Creative, cute, and fast-paced, Companion introduces us to lovestruck Iris and her seemingly perfect beau, Josh (Jack Quaid).
Josh and Iris go for a weekend getaway with Josh’s group of friends, and things go downhill pretty quickly once one of Josh’s male friends tries to assault Iris — which she is most certainly NOT okay with.
Companion is dark, funny, and surprising!
You’ll be rooting for Iris the whole way through to the background of an oldies love song soundtrack. Lukas Gage is also excellent (he was great in Smile 2, as well) and the friendships between the group feel very authentic.
Let’s just say the relationship wasn’t what Iris was expecting at all, and as she comes into her own feminine power, it’s a beautiful thing to watch. Who needs a relationship when you can simply love yourself? Doesn’t matter if you’re human or not. We all deserve autonomy, right?
The deaths in Companion are gory and fun, and what’s more, you’ll fall completely in love with Iris, making this romantic horror sci-fi film exactly what it aimed to be. The genuineness of how Sophie Thatcher plays this role makes her so utterly loveable and engaging to watch. There should be more films that make you feel the way this one does!
I highly recommend Companion. I left the theater with a big old smile on my face, wondering why Jack Quaid, such an adorable guy, plays a jerk so damn well (see: Scream 2022). Either way, it’s excellent and well worth a watch!
A great horror Valentine’s Day film is a true gem.
Fortunately, over the years we’ve had a few standouts — My Bloody Valentine, Valentine, The Love Witch, Bride of Chucky, Lisa Frankenstein — there are multiple ‘romantic’ horror movies. But this year, we got something even more exciting; a horror ‘rom-com!’ I couldn’t wait to see Heart Eyes in the theater this month.
Ally (Olivia Holt) is coming off a bad breakup and putting her energy into her job – which, let’s face it, isn’t going too well. She’s feeling pretty cynical about romance when she has a ‘meet cute’ with Jay (Mason Gooding), a hopeless romantic and fellow executive.
Due to a series of mishaps, Ally and Jay end up spending Valentine’s Day together while their city is under attack from Heart Eyes, a murdering maniac who slaughters happy couples in different cities every Valentine’s Day. Even though they aren’t a couple, Ally and Jay are forced to defend themselves from slaughter.
Heart Eyes is everything I could have possibly wanted.
I don’t want to say too much about this movie, but Heart Eyes seamlessly weaves the three genres (horror, romance, and comedy) together to produce a picture-PERFECT film that is so entertaining I could have spent way more time with Ally and Jay.
Well-developed, likeable characters; hilarious one-liners; blood and gore aplenty (several of the kills are true standouts); swoony, mushy romance; and the coolest killer mask I’ve seen in a while (made by the incomparable Tony Gardner, an effects genius who most know as the main puppeteer behind our favorite doll, Chucky) make you fall in love with this film.
Heart Eyes’ mask is so intense – the cute little hearts give way to an incredible feature; the mask uses infrared to allow the killer to see in the dark, so hiding from Heart Eyes is nearly impossible. Fast-paced chase sequences as victims run from the glowy-eyed killer will definitely get your heart pounding!
I don’t know what else to say about this movie other than it’s just freaking adorable and I laughed so hard many times. Heart Eyes stole my heart, and I know it will steal yours.
So, if you’re feeling lovestruck this month, head to the theater for one of my favorite candy-coated combinations – romance and blood!
From this point onward, this post contains affiliate links. If you watch a movie we’ve recommended using our links, you’ll be helping to support HorrorFam.com at no additional cost to you!
Where to Watch Companion (2025):
Where to Watch Heart Eyes (2025):
Images were purchased via CineMaterial and MovieStillsDB.
