Synopsis:
A blend of emotional isolation and obsession, fantasy, and seduction, Heart Eyes is a psychological romantic thriller set to release in 2025. The film fuses modern noir elements with the drama of erotica. Directed by independent filmmaker Arielle Vaughn, the film depicts the untethered desire that spirals into delusion and illustrates the unmoored reality of desire.
The dreamy yet unsettling outskirts of Los Angeles brings to life a story focusing on Callahan, a successful photographer. His character is emotionally detached but only until he meets Luna Reyes, a performance artist who goes by the name of “Heart Eyes.” Her installations come alive with her masked persona that draws Theo into a world straddling voyeurism and vulnerability. The heart-shaped masks further obfuscate her identity, becoming an all-encompassing obsession for him.
Their story begins with an unremarkable encounter. In one of his photoshoots, Theo has Luna peeking into the frame and the heart-shaped lenses of her mask magnifying her eyes brings out something within him. The two meet again at an underground art show, where centrifuge of attraction draws them closer. Despite being magnetic, the connection seems elusive. Luna remains an enigma, uttering riddles, performing obscenely, and vanishing before anything becomes spellbinding.
While attempting to uncover her identity, Theo begins to spiral losing grip on his own identity. Through lovers, collaborators, and cryptic messages, every attempt leads him toward further emotional and erotic chaos. Obstacles include Claire, his partner of many years, who is a calm and level-headed gallery curator. Claire slowly begins understanding that she’s not contending with her partner, but with a fantasy.
Theo’s reality is breaking apart in increasingly surreal sequences; mirrors speak, shadows linger, and masks appear in his studio, even though Luna hasn’t been there. Ultimately, he is invited by Luna to the desert for an exclusive retreat called “The Real Show”, a surrealist convention where truth doesn’t exist and love is silently anonymous. In “The Real Show”, Theo is presented with Luna’s reality, or at least one version of it.
The film’s final act shatters everything: Was any part of it true, and was Luna a constructed being? Or did Theo in fact create Luna while projecting his emotional pitfalls which shattering him in the process?
Cast and Characters:
Taylor Aaron Johnson as Theo Callahan
In an calm chaotic performance, Aaron portrays a constantly longing yet intimately terrified persona. He shifts between obsession with self-destruction and vulnerability, capturing the raw depth of destruction that is creativity.
Anya Taylor-Joy as Luna Reyes
Absorbing the duality of Luna as both “muse” and “mirror,” Taylor-Joy molds her into something both magical and haunting. The intrigue of Taylor-Joy’s Luna arises from her capacity to simultaneously shield and expose herself, creating a multi-layered riddle who is less ordinary and more of a psychological shapeshifter.
Riley Keough as Claire Dawson
Theo’s partner is played by Keough, who tries to cultivate the emotional balance both morally and in opposition to the film’s chaotic surrealism. Claire’s characterization is an echo characterized by suppressed pain, making the outcome all the more harrowing and poetic with her undeniably aching performance.
Lakeith Stanfield as Roman Vale
Roman is a former lover of Luna and a conceptual artist. Roman serves as an elusive narrator, simultaneously warning Theo while guiding him deeper into the labyrinth. Stanfield’s portrayal captures that exquisite domain between clarity and haze; he is captivating in the role.
Director and Creative Vision:
In her directorial debut, Arielle Vaughn opts for daring choices. Her risk paying off puts Vaughn stylistically between the sultry lens of Luca Guadagnino and the heady fantasy of David Lynch. Vaughn’s narrative structure is non-linear, her camera contains unhurried moves that are bound to disturb.
In Luna’s sphere, crimson and violet reign as the hues that mark her life, whereas Theo’s existence is portrayed in dull, faded colors. The narrative gives ample attention to sound designing, treating overlapping whispers as the dialogue, while heartbeats act as scores and background sounds seamlessly blend into silence—heightening the feeling of unfulfilled desire and intensified claustrophobia.
Dream sequences of the movie are most vividly depicted using 16mm film, starkly contrasting Theo’s mechanistic world, characterized by dispassionate clarity. Vaughn employed mirrors, water, and eyes as recurring themes, serving as powerful reminders of shattered selves.
Motifs and Representation:
Obsession become a form of self-definition:
Theodore’s focus is not love, but the identity turmoil stemming from fixation, which in this case is Luna. Luna serves as a substitute in all the emotional gambles he has never had the courage to undertake.
The Control Usuals:
Is it the one being observed who’s in control, or the one staring? Supporters of this hypothesis cite the mask, “Heart Eyes,” that offers love without emotion, making it emblematic of anonymous love in a technologically dominated society.
Reality versus daydreams:
Every new facet of Luna is tailored to Theo’s preferences. Facing the real Luna—or the horrifying notion of her nonexistence—catastrophically shatters his orb of self.
Art as Manipulation:
The film analyzes art in its various forms like photography and installations, and how it can be used to manipulate the truth. The philosophy “what is shown is never what is” exists in every frame.
Masculinity and Vulnerability:
Theo’s conquest of Luna devoid of control identifies his emotional vulnerability and the facade of masculinity in a world where empathy is perceived a weakness.
IMDb Ratings and Reception:
Heart Eyes garnered a standing ovation as it premiered at Sundance 2025, currently holding a 7.8/10 on IMDb. Critics noted it “visually haunting and emotionally audacious” but had some concerns regarding the pacing, describing it as “deliberate and disorienting.”
Reviews from the audience have been divisive, considering the film either an enthralling masterpiece or an incoherent narrative tangled with confusion. Its erotic elements and surreal tone led to comparisons with Mulholland Drive, Under The Skin, and Eyes Wide Shut.
Many reviewers have called out Taylor-Joy’s performance as “Oscar worthy” first during IndieWire’s and The Guardian’s discussions, who praised her captivating yet terrifying duality in a single frame.
Conclusion:
Heart Eyes serves as a striking reminder of how passion can easily transform into an obsession, along with how desired illusions can turn into prisons. It does not provide a solution, but mirrors that reflect what we cannot see: unvoiced passions, emotional blind spots, and the need to be noticed even when masked.
This film is not suited for everyone. It is slow-paced, shrouded in mystery, and provides a heartfelt experience. Nonetheless, those who wish to embrace discomfort will find Heart Eyes unforgettable. The beauty of watching this film lies in its ability to shift one’s perception concerning love, identity, and wanting someone who may not exist at all.
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