The following contains spoilers for Heart Eyes and Companion, now playing in theaters

Heart Eyes is just the latest example of how good a specific horror sub-genre can be, and (alongside the previously released Companion) sets the stage for a prolific year for the concept. In many ways, Heart Eyes is a very conventional horror film. The movie is a love-letter to slasher movies from previous eras, with the тιтular masked killer dispatching plenty of people in increasingly gory manners. However, Heart Eyes‘ characters are also inhabiting a surprisingly sweet romance story, adding unexpectedly silly layers to the film.

It’s a similar trick accomplished by Companion, which fused sci-fi, horror, and comedy into an effective exploration of toxic relationships. Despite being very different films, Heart Eyes and Companion are both ultimately examples of how good horror comedies can be at causing laughs and screams alike. The success of both films highlights how flexible and entertaining this horror sub-genre really is, and set off a very exciting 2025 for films that embrace both comedy and terror.

Heart Eyes And Companion Have Already Given 2025 Some Great Horror Comedies

Heart Eyes And Companion Are Good Reminders That Horror Can Be Really Funny

Films like Heart Eyes and Companion are solid additions to the pantheon of great horror comedies, a genre mashup that is set to have a very impressive year in 2025. Both Heart Eyes and Companion play with their genre conventions to strong comedic effect, with the former poking fun at the slasher sub-genre while Companion plays sci-fi concepts for dark laughs. Both movies didn’t hold back on the gore, especially Heart Eyes. Both Companion and Heart Eyes embrace the twists and turns of a good horror movie, but also never stop being funny commentaries on relationships and other genres.

The ultimate threat of Heart Eyes is a classic slasher villain, albeit one with some surprisingly effective comedic elements. Similarly, the sci-fi Companion explores heavy themes about agency and toxic relationships through a murder mystery plot that steadily turns one of the seemingly nice characters into a monstrous representation of enтιтlement and casual cruelty. Heart Eyes and Companion both feature some genuinely grisly death scenes and tense chances through тιԍнт environments, but both films also never stop being funny in their own ways (whether that’s the character-driven beats of Companion or the sudden physical comedy of Heart Eyes).

How Heart Eyes And Companion Work As Genre Fusions

Heart Eyes And Companion Are More Than Just Funny Movies That Are Scary

The horror comedy is a fun fusion of two genres that operate in similar fashions. However, that sub-genre also actually has a lot of flexibility. Different approaches to both the comedy and horror genres can work in different ways, which is well illustrated by the differences between Heart Eyes and Companion. Heart Eyes is in many ways a conventional rom-com, with Ally and Jay’s romantic tension building into a rewarding love story. It follows the standard beats of that genre, but connects the complications and conflicts to the masked murderer who is chasing after them.

By contrast, Companion is a more introspective sci-fi story that embraces some horrifying (and darkly hilarious) turns). That film has a very different perspective on love, with a greater emphasis on questions of agency and honesty in relationships. Companion is also about relationships, but keeps the focus on a toxic one that quickly gives way to murder. Those sci-fi elements fit well into Companion‘s story, especially as Jack Quaid’s Josh evolves into a genuinely frightening character. Both Heart Eyes and Companion remain effective horror films and funny comedies, even while playing with very different storytelling styles.

2025 Has Plenty More Horror Comedies Coming Up

There Are A Dozen Horror/Comedy Films Set To Debut Over The Course Of 2025

Heart Eyes and Companion are both very solid horror comedies, but they’re also only among the first of the sub-genre mashup to be released in 2025. The year is poised to have several similar releases, which highlights the strength of the fusion as an underlying concept. Many play with the same self-aware sense of comedy that can be found in Heart Eyes or experiment with multiple genres like Companion or Peter Pan’s Neverland Nightmare. The grim comedy of The Monkey is already earning critical acclaim, while the meta-commentary of Until Dawn pokes fun at a wide breadth of horror tropes.

The self-aware absurdity of the Twisted Childhood Universe is set to continue and build to Poohniverse: Monsters ᴀssemble, while the new Anaconda film starring Jack Black and Paul Rudd will likely follow a similar track. A24’s Death of a Unicorn introduces a monstrous version of the mythological beast, while new entries in the M3GAN, Final Destination and Five Nights at Freddy’s franchises will likely bring some darkly comic deaths to the big screen. Heart Eyes and Companion are just the beginning for a hilariously horrific year, which could be a stand-out period for the horror/comedy sub-genre.