Heart Eyes’ 19 Romantic Movie Easter Eggs & References

Warning: This article contains SPOILERS for Heart Eyes!

Because of its self-aware comedy and tone, Heart Eyes includes multiple references to romance movies, paying homage to the best films that came before. The popularity of romantic comedy horror movies increased over time leading up to the release of Heart Eyes, with films like Companion, Lisa Frankenstein, and Happy Death Day standing out as some of the best. However, Heart Eyes sets itself apart from other films in a few ways.

Firstly, the Olivia Holt-led horror rom-com is much more bloody and gruesome than many other options. This is thanks to the story including an epic slasher villain. However, the most notable difference is Heart Eyes’ self-aware nature. Taking inspiration from Scream, the film pokes fun at horror genre tropes and makes references to previous films. The 2025 film doesn’t just focus on satirizing horror, though. Heart Eyes makes fun of and references many fantastic romance films, especially focusing on the rom-com subgenre.

13

Multiple Movies During Monica’s Speech

Monica’s Speech To Motivate Ally To Go After Jay In Heart Eyes

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Throughout Heart Eyes, Monica is Ally’s biggest supporter and cheerleader. After Ally freaks out and turns down Jay, Monica gives her a pep talk about fighting for what she wants, incorporating eight different rom-com titles. She says this:

“Ally, listen to me. You deserve to be happy. You deserve to have someone love you for the beautiful, neurotic mess that you are. I mean you can be so clueless sometimes. It’s one of the 10 things I hate about you, honestly. You can’t let Jay go off to his best friend’s wedding, and hook up with a bunch of bridesmaids and move to Notting Hill. No. No, mama. Some kind of wonderful, crazy, stupid love, actually. Go get him. Go get that beautiful melanin man.”

This speech in Heart Eyes is one of the movie’s funniest and most self-aware moments. It comes across as a love letter to the rom-com genre. For those who might have missed all the titles, Monica’s speech includes references to these romantic comedy titles:

  • Clueless
  • 10 Things I Hate About You
  • My Best Friend’s Wedding
  • Bridesmaids
  • Notting Hill
  • Some Kind of Wonderful
  • Crazy Stupid Love
  • Love, Actually

A few of the titles overlap within the dialogue, making them easy to miss. Only two of the films – My Best Friend’s Wedding and Love, Actually – were referenced separately from Monica’s speech in Heart Eyes.

12

Romeo & Juliet

Ally’s “Til Death Do Us Part” Commercial At Work

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Romeo + Juliet

PG-13

Drama

Romance

Release Date

November 1, 1996

Runtime

120 Minutes

Director

Baz Luhrmann

Writers

William Shakespeare, Craig Pearce, Baz Luhrmann

Cast

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  • Headshot Of Leonardo DiCaprio In The 35th Annual Palm Springs International Film Festival Awards Night

    Leonardo DiCaprio

  • Headshot Of Claire Danes

    Claire Danes

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    John Leguizamo

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Heart Eyes has a sardonic humor that pokes fun at love while simultaneously crafting a romance through unconventional means. This is never more apparent than when the marketing team watches Ally’s “Til Death Do Us Part” campaign for a ring company. The first romantic film referenced in the commercial is the epitome of doomed lovers – Romeo and Juliet, a William Shakespeare story that showcases the tragic side of love. They recreate the scene from the 1996 movie where Claire Danes’ Juliet meets Leonardo DiCaprio’s Romeo, and then the commercial quickly shifts to the death scene, depicting Juliet slitting her throat.

11

Titanic

Ally’s “Til Death Do Us Part” Commercial At Work

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Titanic

PG-13

Drama

Romance

ScreenRant logo

10/10

21

9.3/10

Release Date

December 19, 1997

Runtime

3h 14m

Director

James Cameron

Writers

James Cameron

Cast

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    David Warner

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The second film that Ally references in her “Til Death Do Us Part” campaign is Titanic, which tells the doomed love story of Jack and Rose – two passengers on the titular ship. The commercial shows the scene where Rose and Jack stretch out their arms while standing on the bow of the boat.

Heart-Eyes--Josh-Ruben's-Horror-Movies,-Ranked-Worst-To-Best

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However, the scene in Heart Eyes diverges from the source material when they get hit by a thunderstorm. The commercial then cuts to Rose on the floating door and Jack in the water, continuing the decades-long debate about whether Jack could fit on the door alongside his lover in Titanic.

10

Bonnie & Clyde

Ally’s “Til Death Do Us Part” Commercial At Work

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Bonnie and Clyde

R

Biography

Crime

Documentary

Drama

Romance

9/10

Release Date

July 18, 1967

Runtime

111 minutes

Director

Arthur Penn

Writers

David Newman, Robert Benton, Robert Towne

Producers

Warren Beatty

Cast

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  • Headshot Of Warren Beatty

    Warren Beatty

    Bonnie Parker

  • Cast Placeholder Image

    Faye Dunaway

    Clyde Barrow

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The final part of Ally’s commercial reimagines the death scene from Bonnie & Clyde, a movie that tells the love story between the two eponymous, old-timey gangsters. The gunshots hit the actors’ chests in slow motion with red scarfs filling in for the blood, adding to the hilarity of the scene. While backlash to Ally’s death-centric marketing campaign could’ve happened either way, Bonnie & Clyde appearing in the commercial is likely why the residents of Seattle reacted so poorly to Ally’s commercial in Heart Eyes, considering the main characters of the film were murderers.

9

Breakfast at Tiffany’s

Ally & Monica’s Dressing Room Montage In Heart Eyes

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Breakfast at Tiffany’s

pg-13

Comedy

Documentary

Drama

Romance

ScreenRant logo

9/10

8/10

Release Date

October 6, 1961

Runtime

115minutes

Director

Blake Edwards

Writers

Truman Capote, George Axelrod

Cast

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    Audrey Hepburn

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    George Peppard

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One romance movie reference in Heart Eyes only appears onscreen for a few seconds, so it’s extremely easy to miss. When Ally and Monica go to the store, they show a dressing room montage. Ally walks out wearing a black dress with giant frills and a statement necklace of oversized pearls.

This choice is a spin on the memorable outfit that Aubrey Hepburn wears in Breakfast at Tiffany’s, minus the gloves and hair accessory. Breakfast at Tiffany’s follows a New York socialite named Holly Golightly, who becomes interested in a young writer named Paul Varjack. Like Holly Golightly, Ally seems unwilling to belong to anyone, leaning into self-sufficiency.

8

Pretty Woman

Ally & Monica’s Dressing Room Montage In Heart Eyes

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Pretty Woman

R

Romance

Comedy

ScreenRant logo

10/10

6/10

Release Date

March 23, 1990

Runtime

119 minutes

Director

Garry Marshall

Writers

J.F. Lawton

Cast

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  • Headshot of Richard Gere

    Richard Gere

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During the montage in Heart Eyes, Ally puts on a black lacy dress with a nude lining underneath and a piece of lace that goes across the neck, looking like a choker. In addition to being beautiful, this dress is an Easter egg to the movie Pretty Woman, starring Julia Roberts and Richard Gere.

The Heart Eyes Killer from the movie Heart Eyes

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In the film, a business executive named Edward Lewis hires a sex worker to act as his date for some events, and they start falling for each other. During one scene, Edward meets Vivian at the bar before dinner, and she’s wearing the dress. Heart Eyes referencing Pretty Woman feels appropriate considering it’s one of the best rom-coms of all time.

7

My Best Friend’s Wedding

Jay’s Comment To Ally Outside The Bathroom In Heart Eyes

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My Best Friend’s Wedding

PG-13

Comedy

Romance

9/10

Release Date

June 19, 1997

Runtime

105 Minutes

Director

P.J. Hogan

Writers

Ronald Bass

Cast

See All

  • Headshot Of Julia Roberts in the Los Angeles Premiere Of ‘Ticket To Paradise'

    Julia Roberts

    Julianne Potter

  • Headshot Of Dermot Mulroney In The Variety 2023 Power Of Young Hollywood

    Dermot Mulroney

    Michael O’Neal

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One of the central factors in Heart Eyes’ story is the fact that it’s Valentine’s Day when the Heart Eyes Killer attacks. Luckily, the writers provided a reason why Jay and Ally would be working together at a restaurant on Valentine’s Day. After the meeting, Jay reveals that he has to fly out of Seattle the next day for “my best friend’s wedding,” which is the title of a classic Julia Roberts romantic comedy from the 90s. The film tells the story of a woman named Julianne who tries to break up the wedding of her best friend, Michael.

6

Thelma & Louise

Ally & Monica Getting Coffee Before A Work Meeting

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Thelma & Louise

R

Drama

Thriller

Crime

Adventure

9.6/10

Release Date

May 24, 1991

Runtime

130 Minutes

Director

Ridley Scott

Writers

Callie Khouri

Producers

Mimi Polk Gitlin

Cast

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  • Headshot Of Susan Sarandon

    Susan Sarandon

    Louise

  • Headshot Of Geena Davis

    Geena Davis

    Thelma

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Early in Heart Eyes, Ally starts stressing that she’s going to get fired from her job because of the issue with her marketing campaign. However, Monica’s willing to stand up for Ally, saying, “We’ll Thelma and Louise this sh*t.” This is a reference to the titular film that blends together the genres of buddy comedy, crime drama, and romance. Thelma and Louise go on a trip to get away from the men in their lives, and they get caught up in a crime. By the end, they love each other enough to kiss while driving off a cliff together.

5

His Girl Friday

The Movie Playing At The Drive-In Theater During The Heart Eyes Massacre

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His Girl Friday (1940)

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His Girl Friday

NR

Comedy

Drama

Romance

Release Date

January 18, 1940

Runtime

92 minutes

Director

Howard Hawks

Writers

Ben Hecht

Producers

Jed Harris

Cast

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  • Cast Placeholder Image

    Cary Grant

    Walter Burns

  • Cast Placeholder Image

    Rosalind Russell

    Hildy Johnson

  • Cast Placeholder Image

    Ralph Bellamy

    Bruce Baldwin

  • Cast Placeholder Image

    Gene Lockhart

    Sheriff Hartwell

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Halfway through Heart Eyes, Ally and Jay escape the Heart Eyes Killer’s attack at the police station, running away until they accidentally arrive at the drive-in theater. On the screen is the classic 1940 screwball comedy film His Girl Friday, which Ally reveals to be a movie she loves.

2:31

The Heart Eyes Killer from Heart Eyes Next to the Miner from My Bloody Valentine

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The movie follows a newspaper editor named Walter Burns who tries to get back his reporter ex-wife, Hildy Johnson, by giving her a story about a convicted killer’s execution. The Heart Eyes character even watches it when she gets home from the massacre. Ally’s love for His Girl Friday is a hint that she’s much more of a romantic than she seems to be and that she really wants love.

4

Love, Actually

Ally Going To The Airport To Stop Jay From Getting On The Plane

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Love Actually

R

Comedy

Drama

Holiday

Romance

ScreenRant logo

8/10

7.1/10

Release Date

November 14, 2003

Runtime

135 minutes

Director

Richard Curtis

Writers

Richard Curtis

Cast

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  • Headshot Of Colin Firth In The Los Angeles Premiere Of `Empire Of Light`

    Colin Firth

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An extremely popular trope in the romance and rom-com genres is a person running to the airport to stop their lover from getting on a plane. The most popular example of this narrative choice happens in Love, Actually – a movie that weaves together many love stories around Christmastime. Sam goes to the airport to tell Joanna how he feels, and they end up kissing.

Variations of the “Run For Your Love” trope can be found in movies like Crazy Rich Asians, How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, Sleepless in Seattle, and Funny Girl.

Heart Eyes also uses this trope, albeit with a twist. Ally takes a cab to the airport to stop Jay from leaving and profess her feelings. However, she receives a call revealing that Jay never made it to the airport.

3

Cinderella

Ally’s Rant About Romance During Her Dinner With Jay

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Cinderella

Animation

Family

Fantasy

Musical

Romance

10/10

Release Date

March 4, 1950

Runtime

75 minutes

Director

Clyde Geronimi, Wilfred Jackson, Hamilton Luske

Cast

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  • Cast Placeholder Image

    Ilene Woods

  • Cast Placeholder Image

    James MacDonald

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When Ally and Jay meet up at their work dinner, Jay talks positively about love while Ally makes her skepticism of relationships very clear. She goes on a rant about the fact that everyone seeks fairytale love, even though it’s rare. At the end of her speech, Ally references Cinderella, saying, “Prince Charming? Until you catch him f*cking your sister.” This hilarious quote is a reflection of Ally’s mental state early on, showing just how much she’s grown by the end of Heart Eyes.

2

Forget Me Not

The Heart Eyes Killer’s Phone Call To Ally

The Forget Me Not poster shows a couple

Forget Me Not

NR

Drama

Romance

Release Date

May 6, 2011

Runtime

93 minutes

Director

Lance Roehrig

Writers

Mark Underwood

Producers

Rebecca Long

Cast

  • Headshot Of Genevieve O'Reilly

    Genevieve O’Reilly

    Eve Fisher

  • Headshot Of Tobias Menzies In The 65th BFI London Film Festival: 'Belfast' premiere

    Tobias Menzies

    Will Fletcher

  • Cast Placeholder Image

    Gemma Jones

    Lizzie Fisher

  • Cast Placeholder Image

    Luke de Woolfson

    Luke

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One of the cleverest and most obscure romance movie references in Heart Eyes happens toward the end of the movie when the Heart Eyes Killer calls Ally on the phone. He says, “Roses are red; violets are black. Guess who’s with me and not coming back?” When she asks, “Who is this?” the killer replies, “We’ve met before. Forget me not.

Forget Me Not is the title of an all-but-forgotten British romantic dramedy, and it’s also the title of a 2009 little-known horror movie. The double Easter egg perfectly exemplifies the tone of Heart Eyes, which balances rom-coms with horror. Additionally, it represents the slasher film’s inclusion of both gallows humor and lighthearted comedy.

1

Runaway Bride

The Final Moments Of The Story In Heart Eyes

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Runaway Bride

PG

Romance

Comedy

Release Date

July 30, 1999

Director

Garry Marshall

Writers

Josann McGibbon, Sara Parriott

Cast

See All

  • Headshot Of Julia Roberts in the Los Angeles Premiere Of ‘Ticket To Paradise'

    Julia Roberts

    Maggie Carpenter

  • Headshot of Richard Gere

    Richard Gere

    Ike Graham

  • Headshot Of Joan Cusack

    Joan Cusack

    Peggy Flemming

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    Hector Elizondo

    Fisher

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The final romance Easter egg occurs after Ally and Jay get engaged. The Heart Eyes soundtrack starts playing “You Can’t Hurry Love” by The Supremes. This is a direct reference to Runaway Bride, which tells the story of a woman named Maggie who has repeatedly run away from the alter and a reporter named Ike who wants to cover her story.

After Maggie and Ike get married at the very end of the film, Runaway Bride famously plays a cover of the song “You Can’t Hurry Love” by The Chicks. Given the self-aware nature of the script, it feels appropriate that the final moments of Heart Eyes, before the credits, is a romance Easter Egg.

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Heart Eyes

Comedy

Horror

Romance

ScreenRant logo

5/10

7.2/10

Release Date

February 7, 2025

Director

Josh Ruben

Writers

Michael Kennedy, Phillip Murphy, Christopher Landon

Cast

  • Cast Placeholder Image

    Olivia Holt

    Ally

  • Headshot Of Mason Gooding

    Mason Gooding

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