The following contains spoilers for Heart Eyes, now playing in theaters
Heart Eyes might be critically acclaimed, but the horror/rom-com fusion is unlikely to get a sequel. Set on Valentine’s Day, Heart Eyes follows Olivia Holt’s Ally and Mason Gooding’s Jay as they try to survive the night being stalked by the тιтular masked killer. The slasher-heavy premise is given some unique (and hilarious) elements courtesy of Heart Eyes‘ game cast, strong narrative, and solid creatives behind the scenes. The result is a horror movie that’s just as much inspired by Sleepless in Seattle as it is Scream, and it’s a wholly entertaining time.
Given the success of the film with critics, it wouldn’t be remiss to expect a sequel to be developed. However, the ending of Heart Eyes actually pokes fun at the idea of every horror movie needing sequel set-up. This actually reinforces a lot of elements of the movie, such as an emotionally resonant finale and subversive approach to slashers, that suggest Heart Eyes works best as a stand-alone piece. Given those elements as well as the off-screen success of the creatives and stars of the film, it seems unlikely that Heart Eyes 2 will ever reach the big screen.
Heart Eyes’s Conclusive Ending Pokes Fun At Horror Movie Sequel Set-Ups
Heart Eyes Makes Fun Of Horror Movies Always Setting Up Sequels
Heart Eyes‘ fairly conclusive ending and post-credits scenes poke fun at sequel set-up being a necessity for slasher movies, suggesting a potential Heart Eyes 2 isn’t likely. Heart Eyes ends with Jay and Ally getting engaged. While Heart Eyes‘ post-credits scene initially seems to set up a new Heart Eyes killer stalking them, it’s only a practical joke played by Ally’s best friend Monica. The ending of the film leans more heavily into the rom-com aspects of the movie instead of the slasher elements, which would seem to guarantee a happy ending for the couple.
Although Heart Eyes does establish the possibility of copycat killers thanks to the presence of a “fan” donning the mask for a period during the film, Heart Eyes also subverts many expectations about the slasher genre. This seems to include setting the stage for a sequel. While it’s possible that the movie could bring back the concept with new killers beneath the mask, the sweet nature of the film’s ending makes it feel unnecessary. Heart Eyes has a happy ending that most slashers don’t get, which feels true to the romantic spirit at the heart of the film’s love story.
The Creatives Behind The Movie Have Other Projects In the Works Beyond Heart Eyes 2
Heart Eyes‘ Creatives And Cast Are Plenty Busy Even Without Heart Eyes 2
Heart Eyes comes from a number of skilled collaborators, both on and off the screen. Phillip Murphy, Christopher Landon, and Michael Kennedy wrote the film, while Josh Ruben directed the movie. If Heart Eyes is a mᴀssive box office success, it could convince the studio to try and bring him back for a potential sequel or to carry on the concept with a new creative team. However, that latter option would likely sap the potential sequel of the curated blend of comedy and horror that Ruben and his collaborators discovered with the movie.
Attempting [Heart Eyes 2] with different creatives would likely fail to have the same effect, and they might not have the time for such a project, given how in demand they’ve become.
That blend of genuine romance, goofy comedy, and gory terror makes Heart Eyes stand out from other parodies of the horror genre. Attempting it with different creatives would likely fail to have the same effect, and they might not have the time for such a project, given how in demand they’ve become. The same can be said for Olivia Holt and Mason Gooding, who likewise keyed in perfectly to Heart Eyes tonal mash-up. The genre blend would be hard to recreate with a new team or only some of the creatives, and their busy schedules make a sequel less likely.
Heart Eyes Works Perfectly Well Without A Sequel
Sometimes, A Movie Can Stand Alone
Some horror movies are open-ended enough in their finales to naturally invite follow-ups, like Halloween or A Nightmare on Elm Street. Conversely, some scary movies feel complete in their story and don’t naturally invite further invention. While some perfectly fine stand-alone films like Scream have proven that franchises can grow out of those successes, Heart Eyes is such a wonderfully idiosyncratic love letter to horror and rom-coms that repeating it with a sequel feels inherently unnecessary. The story is wrapped up neatly and the character arcs feel completed in a natural way.
As much fun as a sequel to Heart Eyes could be, it’s more exciting to see the cast and crew (all of whom have experience in the horror space) continue to experiment instead of returning to the same well. Heart Eyes being a stand-alone horror movie even adds to the subversive elements of the film, which pokes fun at horror movies that feel the need to tease sequels. Heart Eyes is a lot of fun, but the circumstances that led to it, the film’s content, and the success of the creatives behind it make a sequel unlikely and unnecessary.
