The filmmaker was just weeks away from moving into his first home when the Altadena fire took it. Now, the warm reception to his slasher romcom is helping him and his wife move forward after their "dream was shattered.

Even in the wake of the devastating wildfires that tore through the greater Los Angeles area and claimed his home last month, director Josh Ruben maintains an optimistic attitude while discussing his bloody-good contribution to the slasher subgenre centered around Valentine’s Day: Heart Eyes ( now playing in theaters everywhere ).