Heart Eyes (2025) Ending Explained - Who Was The Heart Eyes Killer?

Welcome to Knockout Horror. Today we are going to be explaining the ending brand new romantic horror slasher Heart Eyes. We checked this out a few days ago and, to be perfectly honest, I wasn’t expecting much. I’m not a fan of rom-coms but I was massively surprised. This movie was a whole lot of fun.

Heart Eyes has some genuinely funny moments, likable characters, some decent kills and excellent on-screen chemistry between the leads. The ending features a bit of a twist so let’s do some explaining. I am going to go for a questions and answer format rather than the traditional summarising the entire thing. Hopefully I can clear everything up along the way. If you haven’t watched the movie yet, check out our review first as this ending explained does have spoilers. Let’s go.

Who Is The Heart Eyes Killer?

Heart Eyes opens up with a couple finding themselves the victims of a vicious killer. It’s made obvious that this is not the first killing of its kind. In fact, this is part of a wave of crimes at the hands of the Heart Eyes Killer.

The Heart Eyes Killer is a serial killer who has been murdering couples on Valentine’s Day. The killer has been active for a number of years and moves from city to city to avoid detection. After the murder of two couples in Seattle. One at a spa and the other at a winery. It becomes clear that the killer has found a new venue and is stalking the Emerald City.

We will learn, eventually, that the Heart Eyes Killer is not just one person. It is actually three different people. One of them is Detective Jeanine Shaw (Jordana Brewster). The lead investigator in the case of the Heart Eyes Killer. She arrives at every murder scene afterwards and acts as though she is attempting to find the killer.

Her husband, David (Yoson An), who we will see later on in the police station working as a tech support guy, is another. And the third is a Heart Eyes Killer fan boy who has joined in with the couple to form a throuple. We will get into this more later on. Either way, the original killers are Detective Shaw and her husband David and they do it as “killing together” kink.

Who Are Our Protagonists?

The protagonists in Heart Eyes are Ally (Olivia Holt) and Jay (Mason Gooding). Ally is a marketing pitch designer for a jewellery company. Ally has recently split with her long term boyfriend. The split has lead to her developing a resentful attitude towards love and romance. Prompting her to make her latest marketing campaign one focused on doomed lovers, Bonnie and Clyde etc. The violent images portrayed in the campaign earned Ally scorn thanks to the association with the recent murders, of couples, by the Heart Eyes Killer.

Jay is a renowned designer who specialises in romantic advertisements, earning himself the nickname “Consumer Cupid”. Ally’s boss, Crystal, has brought Jay on board to assist Ally. Together, the two are tasked with rapidly developing a new ad campaign to replace the one that Ally initially pitched. Ally is, immediately, suspicious of Jay’s intentions.

Having previously met him in a coffee shop where it appeared the two stumbled on some of the more tropey coincidences that punctuate romantic comedies. Ordering the same drink (Large ice blended Americano, with oat milk, 2 honey, 1sugar), accidentally headbutting each other etc. She is conflicted between feelings of endearment and a fear that he is only there to take her job away.

Why Are Ally and Jay Spending the Night Together?

Jay is leaving the next morning to attend his best friend’s wedding. Hence he is on the clock and only has limited time to work. Meaning the pair have to meet up on during the evening of Valentine’s day to brainstorm a new ad campaign.

Again, feeling conflicted, Ally purchases some new clothes for the meeting as she wants to impress. But finds herself burdened by the idea of romance and love. Especially when it comes to Jay’s enthusiasm for the subjects. Jay tries to analyse the meaning of Ally’s previous campaign. Suggesting that she has had her heart broken.

Obviously this is correct but Ally refutes the idea. Suggesting that the idea of love and romance is false as, eventually, it will end, someone will cheat or betray the other. Ally becomes aggressive towards Jay, insulting him which prompts him to leave. Realising that she has been a bit overly harsh. Likely due to her previous relationship experience clashing with her feelings of attraction towards Jay.

Why Does Ally Hate Romance?

Aside from the fact that Ally has recently seen her relationship fall apart after believing it was true love. She has another reason to dislike romance. Something that goes quite a lot deeper and is explained later on in the movie.

Her parents were deeply in love. They had a perfect relationship that reflected the type of idealised romance that you would see in a movie. The only problem is that Ally’s father passed away while she was still young. Leaving her mother heartbroken. Ally’s mother never recovered, leaving Ally to have a somewhat conflicted opinion on the subject. She had seen it in its purest state but also seen the damage it can do. Now she has witnessed that damage first hand, in her own life and situation, leaving her bitter.

Jay, on the other hand, had the opposite experience. His parents hated each other. He grew up desperately seeking love. Putting every girl he met on a pedestal only to have his heart broken countless times. He was so desperate to prove his parents wrong and prove that real love was a thing that he was overly loving. Metaphorically suffocating the girls he was dating and proving too clingy for them.

Why Does Ally Kiss Jay?

Back to the events at hand. Ally follows Jay out of the restaurant before apologising to him. While he attempts to suggest a brainstorming session, Ally hears laughing. Looking past Jay, she spots her ex-boyfriend and his new girlfriend. Wanting to appear as though she has moved on, she kisses Jay. Her ex-boyfriend spots her and the two couples conversate.

We learn, later on, that this is where Detective Shaw and David, the Heart Eye Killers, spotted Jay and Ally. They were, originally, scouting out the restaurant for couples and were planning to murder Ally’s ex and his girlfriend. Seeing the obvious passion, however, in Ally and Jay’s spontaneous kiss. They changed their plans and decided to pursue Ally and Jay, instead.

Jay and Ally are Attacked

The pair eventually end up back at Ally’s apartment. Although Jay was going to return to his hotel, a romance loving cab driver inspires him to go after her in the name of love. Jay agrees and tells the cab driver to wait and keep the meter running. Jay has cut his hand smashing the door glass after Ally forgot her key. As Ally is attempting to hide certain… items.. in her messy apartment, she is attacked by the Heart Eyes Killer who was hiding in her closet. The pair leave the room and manage to use a belt to secure the door. Keeping the killer on the other side.

They escape via the back of the apartment and head to the waiting taxi cab. The driver is shot, begging the question how did the killer get there so quickly? This is, as we learn later on, due to the fact that there are two killers. The Heart Eyes Killer who attacked them in the apartment was Detective Shaw and the one that killed the cab driver was David.

Managing to get away, the pair are surprised by one of the killers who attacks Ally. Jay rescues her but is knocked out for his trouble. Ally runs, leaving Jay, eventually finding herself in a funfair where she battles with the killer. Police sirens sounds out and the killer runs away. Detective Hobbs and Shaw arrive to question Ally. It becomes clear that they have found Jay and he is safe. Only, he is under suspicion of murder as they believe him to be the Heart Eyes Killer.

Why Was Jay Arrested?

Jay is taken into custody. Finding him at the scene of one of the attacks, obviously as a victim, in this case, they claim to have probable cause. They note the fact that a wedding ring was discovered at the winery. A ring bearing the initials J.S, which match his initials – Jay Simmons. He had also, coincidentally, been in the cities where the previous murders took place. Jay tells them he is a freelancer so moves around for work. Jay points out that their suspicion is ridiculous. He isn’t married, he doesn’t wear a ring and why would he have his own initials inscribed on a wedding ring?

Obviously, this is all part of Detective Shaw’s plan to set Jay up and frame him for the murders. Making sure no suspicion falls on her and her husband; the real Heart Eyes Killers. The wedding band found at the winery actually belonged to David. He lost the ring while murdering the couple there. The initials inscribed into the ring are those of his wife – Jeanette Shaw.

Meanwhile, Ally is trying to get some attention at the police station. Wanting to convey Jay’s innocence as she witnessed him being attacked. While waiting, she meets David. A man who appears to be an I.T tech who invites her on a date. A date which Ally refuses. The lights then go out. Likely cut by David to enable Detective Shaw and him to deal with Jay and Ally for good.

Ally and Jay Are Attacked Again

As the lights go out, the female officer looks for a flashlight. She is then killed by the Heart Eyes Killer. In this instance, it is David doing the killing. Ally fights back and runs through the office before bumping into Detective Shaw. Shaw tells her to run as the Heart Eyes Killer comes through the door. Naturally, Detective Shaw is married to David, who is currently wearing the Heart Eyes Killer getup, so knows he is no threat to her. This is part of the place so that Shaw avoids suspicion. She will pretend to be injured and allow David to carry on chasing Ally.

Detective Hobbs, who was watching over Jay in the interrogation room, hears a gunshot. He begins exploring the police station before being murdered by the Heart Eyes Killer (David). Ally finds the interrogation room that houses Jay and talks to him through the door. He tells her that Hobbs has the key. Ally leaves to retrieve it. Not long after, the Heart Eyes Killer (David) enters the room and attacks Jay. Jay is saved by Ally who shoots through the two way mirror, missing the killer as she is a terrible shot, who then runs away. Ally releases Jay and the pair escape.

At The Drive In

The pair flee, making their way to a drive in theatre which just so happens to be packed with couples due to it being Valentine’s day. They find a van with a couple who let them stay up front and hide. Jay and Ally talk about their feelings and are honest with each other about their pasts.

The couple in the back of the van are loudly intimate which attracts the attention of the Heart Eyes Killer who opens the doors and kills them. Ally and Jay begin to run before realising they need to confront the killer or he will keep on murdering couples. They return and fight with the killer, eventually stabbing him.

Who Was The Heart Eyes Killer?

Ally and Jay unmask the killer only to not recognise him. This, initially, seems like a comical, satirical, take on the killer unmasking trope in horror movies. The killer will, typically, be someone the victims know and someone who is significant to the plot. We will have seen them before, unmasked, or had some form of exposition as to who they are. With this unmasking, that isn’t the case.

It isn’t, actually, a satirical take on the unmasking trope, however. This is more of a red herring to set up the upcoming twist so the writer can go for a Scream-esque ending. The killer, here, is Eli. The third member of the the Heart Eyes Killer throuple. Eli was a fan of the Heart Eyes Killer. He, somehow, found out how to contact them and the pair allowed him to join in with their kink. Killing on their behalf. Eli is dead but that leaves David and Detective Shaw still alive and kicking.

Detective Shaw will appear at the scene of the killing. Offering to give them a lift home. Jay accepts as Ally is still not following her heart. Still being reluctant to believe she has found love and deciding to head home alone. Jay gets into Detective Shaws car and this is where she kidnaps him and takes him to the church. Ally, later, regrets her decision. Her best friend, Monica, tells her to go after him. All while referencing a bunch of classic romantic comedies like Love Actually. Ally takes her advice and heads to the airport. Jay isn’t there but Ally receives a phone call telling her to come to St Valentine’s Chapel.

The Big Twist

Naturally, we have already talked about the big reveal but here it is. Ally heads to St Valentine’s Chapel where she finds Jay tied up with the Heart Eyes Killer. Ally is, obviously, confused because they thought they killed the Heart Eyes Killer earlier. The killer unmasks expecting Ally to recognise him. She doesn’t, again a little joke on behalf of the typical horror unmasking tropes. It is David, the tech guy from the police station, earlier, who asked Ally on a date.

Confused, Ally asks who the person they killed was. David explains that it was Eli, to which Ally questions whether they were a couple. David replies “no, they were a throuple” only for Detective Shaw to reveal herself. Apparently David and Detective Shaw met ten years ago on a chat room. A witty observation considering the pair’s consistent references to “love looking with eyes wide open”. They married at that church and have been killing couples ever since.

The couple hunt and kill together as a kink. Taking turns to kill their victims. David killed the couple at the winery, where he lost his wedding ring, and Shaw killed the couple at the spa. They were originally intending to murder Ally’s ex-boyfriend, and his partner, at the restaurant when they spotted Jay and Ally. The kiss the two shared exuded chemistry. Forcing the pair to change their plans and attempt to kill them instead.

Ally nearly killed them in the apartment before they fought back and escaped. David shot the driver and either Detective Shaw or Eli chased them to the fairground. David cut the electricity in the police station before killing Hobbs. Eli killed the people at the drive in theatre before being killed himself by Ally and Jay. Detective Shaw then kidnapped Jay and took him to the church.

Ally and Jay Fight Back

David and Shaw give Ally an ultimatum. She can either show her love for Jay by shooting herself or prove she doesn’t love him by shooting him. Ally pretends she is going to shoot herself before shooting Jay in the shoulder. This was, likely, an accident. Remember how Ally was a terrible shot? She was probably attempting to shoot Detective Shaw. Luckily, the bullet only did minor damage to Jay, going straight through and striking Shaw in the abdomen.

After a scuffle, David pulls Jay away from Ally while Shaw attacks her. David pins Jay down while watching and commenting on how perfect Detective Shaw is. While he is distracted, Jay takes a crossbow bolt from David’s ammo holder and shoves it through David’s face, knocking him into some candles which spill hot wax all over him. Shaw attempts to deal a fatal blow to Ally but Ally shoves her trusty metal straw into Shaw’s throat. We could see that coming all movie, right? They alluded to that straw way too often. Ally then pushes Shaw backwards onto the sword protruding from the statue of St Valentine.

The sword goes through Shaw’s neck and the weight of her suspended body causes it to decapitate her. Something of a symbolic death given the killer’s motives and Shaw’s love of the story of St Valentine who was, himself, said to have been decapitated on February 14th. As Ally checks on Jay, David begins to crawl towards them, horribly burned and covered in wax. Jay shoots him through the head with the crossbow. Bringing to an end the murder spree of the Heart Eyes Killers.

And We Are Done

The movie ends with Jay and Ally surviving the night. Fast forwarding a bit, Jay and Ally have brought success to Crystal’s jewellery company with their collaborative campaign. Ally is leaving the company and returning to med school. It’s fair to imagine she has gotten over her fear of blood, what with the amount of it she witnessed, and all. At the drive in, Jay offers Ally the key to his house so that she can move in. Ally refuses and, instead, proposes to Jay which he accepts. Ending the movie in a rather traditional, Rom-Com, fashion.

So that is Heart Eyes Ending Explained. Again, I like to mix up the formats with these articles. So many sites do these now using AI generated text that I try to be a little different. Answering things that I think I would want to know. Thanks for reading. Be sure to take a look at some Horror Movie Reviews and check out our horror lists. We also explain endings every now and then so check back frequently. Take care and see you again soon.