In the fine tradition of “My Bloody Valentine’s” heart-ripping miner and “Valentine’s” Cupid-faced killer, not to mention “Scream’s” Evard Munch-styled slasher with a sense of gallows humor, the glowing “Heart Eyes” joins a list of love-hating masked maniacs with a weapon to grind against the holiday – in this very agile case pointed arrows, martial arts skills and an array of blunt and not-so blunt instruments. It’s a gorily caustic movie with a “Heathers”-worthy sensibility given a pointedly ironic script, game performances by an oh-so attractive cast and cunningly ironic direction by Josh Ruben. Like his last joyously enraged film “Werewolves Within,” “Heart Eyes” has it every which way, working equally well as a serious slasher, iPhone-obsessed Yuppie takedown and a meet cute romance.
Jay Wadley’s score delivers equally on all counts as he unleashes a relentless orchestra, shrieking brass and hip rhythms, all with a wink that’s defined the comedy-horror genre since Marco Beltrami’s boisterous “Scream” scores. While Wadley has dealt with rom-coms (“Modern Love,” “Fire Island” “The Wedding Banquet”) and no small amount of people facing psychological issues (“I’m Thinking of Ending Things,” “Before”) as well as an iconic character of cunning ingenuity with “Benjamin Franklin,” “Heart Eyes” is his first major horror score to wrap up these stylistic flavors into a berserk VD candygram. Over the top in a rampagingly winking way while still getting in that heartstring race to the airport at the end, “Heart Eyes” is a subversive triumph of the cinematic and musical knife in the belly laughs that will make fans of this very particular genre want to be its valentine.
Were you a fan of the slasher genre and its scoring before this? And how did you come aboard the project?
I’ve actually scored a couple of indie horror projects previous to this one but this is certainly my first at this scale. I wouldn’t say I’ve always been the biggest horror fan, but I’ve grown to appreciate the genre more and more over the years. What’s always drawn me in, though, is the music. Horror films have a long history of pushing the boundaries of orchestral scoring, using experimental techniques that I find really exciting as a composer. As for how I got involved, I’ve been friends with Josh Ruben for almost 15 years now. We actually met on set for a project we were doing with Allison Williams, and we hit it off right away. Over the years, we’ve collaborated on different projects, but *Heart Eyes” is the first feature we’ve worked on together—so it’s been super exciting!
Did you bone up on Valentine’s Day slashers before this? And if so, what were the things you got from them?
I actually didn’t specifically study Valentine’s Day slashers, but I did revisit a lot of horror-comedy films to analyze how music balances humor and horror. The way a score can seamlessly shift between those tones—heightening tension in one moment and then playing into the comedic timing the next—is something I really wanted to get right for “Heart Eyes.” It’s a tricky balance, and watching how other films handled it was really insightful.
“Heart Eyes” director Josh Ruben
Tell us about working with Josh, who’d made the great horror-comedy “Werewolves Within” before this. Do you think there’s a different attitude from filmmakers who specialize in the genre’s funnier possibilities as opposed to just playing serious terror?
Josh is a true student of both horror and comedy, which is why “Heart Eyes” is such a brilliant blend of the two. What makes him so great at this genre is his deep understanding of how horror and comedy function on a psychological level. Both genres rely on tension and release—whether it’s the buildup to a scare or the setup for a punchline, they share a rhythm that makes them a natural pairing. I also think there’s something fascinating about how both horror and comedy push the boundaries of what’s socially acceptable. They allow audiences to engage with taboos in a safe way, whether through laughter or fear. That’s why they can coexist so well in a film like “Heart Eyes.” When done right, the humor makes the horror even sharper, and vice versa. Josh really understands that balance, which made collaborating with him such a rewarding experience.
“Heart Eyes” is above all a very funny film. In that way, do you view your music as the straight man to make you take the killer’s threat seriously—while still keeping within that tone?
Absolutely. The score really needed to play into the horror, action, and romance sequences with authenticity to sell each moment. The humor works on its own, so for me, it was more about using timing—how and when the music comes in or drops out—to enhance the balance between the laughs and the scares. For the most part, the score stays grounded in the tension and emotion of the story, letting the comedy play naturally. But there are a few moments where we lean into the humor more overtly, especially when we’re paying homage to classic genre tropes. In those instances, we had fun milking the absurdity a bit, but otherwise, the music plays it straight, which makes everything feel more heightened and effective.
“Heart Eyes” is a particularly relentless killer in the style of Ghostface and Jason, but he’s also athletically adept—especially when it comes to using arrows. How did you want to capture his physicality?
We wanted to give Heart Eyes a really threatening presence through the music, so we built a stalking theme in the strings that creates this constant, unnerving tension. Then, to reflect his sheer strength and persistence as he chases our main characters, we incorporated big, bombastic brass stabs. The combination of these elements helps capture both his calculated menace and his relentless physicality, making him feel like a force of nature every time he’s on screen.
Like the aforementioned killers, Heart Eyes barely has a line of dialogue when in action. Given that, how did you want to convey the character’s emotion, especially as Heart Eyes just can’t seem to get those pesky kids?
We were able to give Heart Eyes a distinct musical voice through recurring melodic motifs and signature gestures that reflect his personality. Once that thread was established, we could really play with it—shifting the mood depending on whether he was stalking, sneaking, or engaged in full-on action. Having a defined musical identity for him allowed us to explore variations on his theme, making him feel present even when he wasn’t on screen. Whether through subtle, creeping textures or explosive orchestration, his sound became an extension of his character, reinforcing his relentless nature without needing a single word.
How did the distinctive glowing-eyed look of Heart Eyes play into the score?
There wasn’t a direct musical tie to the visual of his glowing eyes, per se, but his overall presence—his eerie, relentless nature—was definitely a major influence on the score. Rather than scoring the visual effect itself, we focused on creating an unsettling atmosphere that made him feel otherworldly and unstoppable, no matter where he was lurking.
At their heart, a good old-fashioned slasher is really a mystery film. Tell us about scoring that aspect.
There wasn’t a specific melodic clue that reveals itself over time to hint at who the slasher is, but his ominous sound is always lurking in the score, creating a sense of dread and inevitability. On the other hand, the romance theme plays a different role in the mystery. It’s teased throughout the film, but it never fully resolves—it’s constantly interrupted, much like the characters’ attempts to connect. That push and pull creates this underlying tension between them, making you wonder whether they’ll actually get together or if the chaos around them will keep getting in the way.
What’s your worst Valentine’s Day experience, and how did you put that feeling into this score?
Oh man… I honestly don’t know what my worst Valentine’s Day experience was! I’m sure there was one, but if it wasn’t memorable enough to stick with me, maybe that’s a good thing. Ha!
Would you be up for further adventures with Heart Eyes, or is there another horror holiday you’d like to tackle?
Oh, I would definitely come back for “Heart Eyes 2!” I had an absolute blast working with Josh and the whole team on this one. It was such a joy, and getting to work with a full orchestra on this kind of score was incredibly fun. As for another holiday horror… I think a super stylized foreign holiday horror could be really interesting. Maybe something around Lunar New Year? I love the type of horrors that play off of rich cultural symbolism and tradition that can be twisted into a really unique and eerie story. I think I could have a lot of fun with that!
See “Heart Eyes” in theaters, with its soundtrack available on Lakeshore Records HERE. Visit Jay Wadley’s web site HERE.
Special thanks to Christian-Gabriel Endicio at White Bear PR
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