The two detectives probing the Heart Eyes Killer killings are called "Hobbs and Shaw," a nod to "Fast and Furious". The screenwriters have said it was always intended to be that way, even before Jordana Brewster, who has been a prominent presence in the series, was cast as Detective Shaw.
Josh Ruben, the director, said he wanted the film's romantic scenes to feel as much like Nora Ephron's work as possible, whilst the horror moments channelled Wes Craven.
Tony Gardner, the special effects designer behind the masks in "Heart Eyes," was also responsible for crafting the killer masks featured in "Freaky," "Happy Death Day," and "Totally Killer."
Josh Ruben: The man at the drive-in who shouts for someone to dial 911.
Hobbs posits the murderer must be a man, but Shaw replies it could just as easily be a woman. It later emerges that Shaw was one of the killers.
In his opening scene Hobbs quips about losing his testicles, a remark that foreshadows his death when he is later struck in the groin with a machete.
After being unmasked as one of the murderers, Shaw admits she adored the tale of how St Valentine lost his head. She is ultimately killed when the sword on the St Valentine statue beheads her.
In a scene excised from the final edit, director Josh Ruben is killed when a ninja star, decorated with heart-shaped decals, strikes him in the face.
A news ticker near the start of the film reports the remains of a postman being discovered beneath a bed and breakfast in Vermont, a nod to director Josh Ruben's earlier film, Werewolves Within.
The film showing at the drive-in is His Girl Friday (1940). Heart Eyes was released on 14 February 2025, which was a Friday.
The criminologist featured in the opening montage bears the name S.P. Wampler as a homage to the late journalist and podcaster Scott Wampler.
When Monica and Ally go clothes shopping, Ally's outfits nod to other romantic comedies: the first ensemble, complete with a hat, echoes Stacey Dash's look in Clueless; the collared dress evokes Julia Roberts's evening outfit from Pretty Woman; and later she and Monica don the coloured dresses from Romy and Michele's High School Reunion.
In the "Meet Arthur" deleted scene, Monica's pep talk consists almost entirely of the titles of several romantic comedies, including Crazy/Beautiful (2001), Somethings Gotta Give (2016), Clueless (1995), Drive Me Crazy (1999), 10 Things I Hate About You (1999), My Best Friend's Wedding (1997), Bridesmaids (2011), Notting Hill (1999), Pretty Woman (1990), The Girl Next Door (2004), Love Actually (2003), Some Kind of Wonderful (1987), and Crazy Stupid Love (2011).
