Heart Eyes
Warning: This article contains SPOILERS for Heart Eyes!
While watching the film, commenters and critics, including myself, noticed the similarities betweenHeart Eyesand theScreamfranchise.
This includes characteristics of Ghostface, one of thebest slasher villains of all time.
However, the Heart Eyes Killer also sets itself apart from its predecessor in many ways.
Instead, Ghostfaces mask is elongated and sheet white, with odd-shaped eyes, nose, and mouth holes.
They almost resemble a more exaggerated version of The Scream by Edvard Munch.
Custom Image by Dani Kessel Odom
Plus, the mouth has a permanent smile thats unhuman and eerie.
When the eyes glow, the killer can see in the dark.
In contrast, Ghostface has slightly impaired vision because the mask has black mesh over the eyes.
In Heart Eyes, two co-workers working late on Valentine’s Day are mistaken for a couple by the infamous Heart Eyes Killer. Directed by Josh Ruben and written by Michael Kennedy and Christopher Landon, the film stars Mason Gooding and Olivia Holt.
Thekillers behind the Ghostface maskhave never been particularly coordinated in the dark.
Most of the movies boasted two Ghostface killers, andScream VIhas three different killers.
The films including multiple killers help maintain the mystery.
The villains include Detective Janine Shaw, David, and Eli.
However, their killing cards differ in one significant way.
Similarly, Jason Carvey and Greg Bruckner want to finish KirschsStabmovie by copying Ghostface at the start ofScream VI.
However, David and Janine never saw him as anything other than a disposable fanboy.
This provides a distinctive visual thats recognizable across all the movies.
On the other hand,Heart Eyes weapons are homagesto iconic slasher villains.
As such, the Heart Eyes Killer doesnt have a standout weapon.
The character uses a voice modulator and delivers the line, Roses are red; violets are black.
Guess whos with me and not coming back?
The mix of whimsical and threatening tones feels very Ghostface-esque.
The sidekicks have less driving force or motive against the specific victims, but they still connect somehow.
The Heart Eyes Killer is drastically different in that theres little rhyme or reason to their victims.
This proves a very different psychological profile between the two groups of serial killers.
Even human slasher villains have an almost supernatural quality to them, making them seem omnipresent.
However,ScreamandHeart Eyesprove that slasher villains can be extraordinarily human and still scary.
Ghostface has always felt like a human inside a costume rather than a superhuman being.
They stumble or trip, make mistakes, and struggle to hit their victims with their Buck 120.
Still, Ghostface manages to induce fear through some vicious murders and psychological games.
Moments like the murderer taunting Jay instead of killing him right away reaffirm this in my mind.
Thats an extremely human, emotion-driven decision rather than being practical.
Having seen theScreammovies many times, I dont remember many kills that appeared reckless or impulsive.
In contrast, the Heart Eyes Killer feels absolutely reckless and impulsive.
1996’s Scream follows a teenage girl who is targeted by a masked killer a year after her mother’s murder who uses horror movies as a deadly game against her and her friends.
