Directed by Jonathan Eusebio, Love Hurts follows Marvin Gable (Ke Huy Quan), a successful realtor whose past as a violent hitman comes back to haunt him when he receives a crimson envelope from Rose (Ariana DeBose), a former partner-in-crime whom he left for dead. He then finds himself thrust back into a world of ruthless hitmen and double-crosses when it is revealed that he is being hunted by his brother (Daniel Wu), a volatile crime lord. This causes him to confront the choices that haunt him and the history he never truly buried.
Out of all the actors and actresses making a resurgence in recent years, Ke Huy Quan has had one of the best comeback stories of all time and has been making a name for himself in several roles since his Oscar-winning performance in Everything Everywhere All at Once. This new action-comedy marks his first leading role since his 19-year hiatus, and given that it was being made by the production company of 87North Productions, who have been responsible for multiple awesome action films in recent years, I had hopes of this being a really fun film to watch starring one of my current favorite actors. And this film was indeed really fun!
While I feel it could have been more narratively refined, Love Hurts is a highly entertaining and wild Valentine’s Day action film that I had a blast with. It’s a film that reminded me a lot of old-school action films with absurd plots, characters, and sequences but with modernized updates and an extremely talented production team involved. It’s the kind of semi-mindless action film that you’d expect to be slammed by most high-end critics but liked/loved by audiences seeking fun escapism, which I believe it delivers.
It’s a film with hilariously violent action that oozes with charm mainly thanks to Ke Huy Quan as the insanely lovable lead. The rest of the cast certainly delivers fun performances and have their own times to shine in the film but Ke Huy Quan owns this film from start to end and I loved every minute of him. Ke Huy Quan is able to perfectly deliver multiple sides of Marvin from the incredibly kind and heartwarming presence in his new life as a charming realtor to a shockingly dark and intense presence when the old side of his life as a hitman resurfaces.
I honestly didn’t expect Ke Huy Quan to deliver such merciless ferocity both in fighting and in acting for dark moments but this just goes to show how much amazing potential he has as an actor that was ignored for so long. In my eyes, he’s proven himself as a very compelling lead and deserves more leading parts going forward.
Ariana DeBose is also quite a force as Rose, sharing fun chemistry with Ke Huy Quan and standing out on her own with her fearless personality and awesome action moments. I do wish that their history and chemistry were more fleshed out than it was because they make for a good pairing and I would loved to have seen more of them together.
Daniel Wu as Alvin “Knuckles” Gable is a basic action film villain but is at least a fun and intimidating menace for our leading hero to face. I also wish we saw more of his history with Marvin, especially since it’s indicated that he was the one who molded and manipulated Marvin to become the deadly hitman he once was.
The supporting cast is quite fun, featuring a number of quirky characters who deliver a lot of great humor and some of them even get to deliver awesome action moments. Mustafa Shakir, who I have not seen in anything since Luke Cage season 2, plays a deadly but poetic assassin called Raven and he was an absolute blast with his intense action sequences and a hilarious romance subplot between him and Marvin’s assistant Ashley, played by Lio Tipton who also delivers a humorous performance.
Then you have Marshawn Lynch and André Eriksen as two comedic henchmen who also deliver some comedic gold of their own, both in their conversations and in the action. Marshawn Lynch in particular gets to utilize his brute strength from his days as a former football player and go full-on “Beast Mode” in this film, creating some over-the-top but enjoyable sequences.
Sean Astin also has a brief role in this film as the lovable and wisdom-filled boss of Marvin at his realtor job. He had some surprisingly touching moments in this film that I wish we had more of and made me miss seeing Sean Astin in major films after so long.
The performances, comedy, and action are what carry this film the most as I feel the narrative wasn’t as focused or refined as it could have been. I wasn’t expecting some Oscar-worthy writing for a film like this but I was hoping for a straightforward story that didn’t need to be needlessly complicated, but unfortunately that wasn’t entirely the case here, at least with one of the main plot threads. The motives of certain characters weren’t exactly explained very well, which caused me to get confused when certain events occurred.
The film also jumps into the action immediately from the start and while that’s not necessarily a bad thing it doesn’t give enough breathing room to explore or expand upon the characters, hence why I end up getting confused when certain elements and “twists” get thrown into the mix. It definitely feels like an early draft kind of story that just needed another once-over.
But while it may fall short narratively I feel it makes up for it in entertainment factor, especially with how masterfully crafted the action is both in the way it is choreographed and how it is shot. While this film was not directed by David Leitch, his team’s style is heavily present in this film’s action sequences, featuring amazing stunt work and creatively brutal as hell fights that I absolutely loved. Ke Huy Quan even gets to pull off his own stunts and fighting in this film and he is an absolute demon in combat that would certainly give John Wick some serious competition.
In typical 87North Productions fashion, this film also features some random items as weapons adding creative flair and comedy to the action. One thing for sure is that I am never going to look at boba tea or plastic straws the same way again after this film.
From a cinematography standpoint, the film is shot incredibly well, especially during the action, and the fun sets and stellar editing make the film look visually pleasing to watch, even if it’s not something as huge or crazy as something like The Fall Guy.
The film’s Valentine’s Day-themed collection of songs is great but the score by Dominic Lewis was unfortunately a bit forgettable as there weren’t any moments of his score that really stood out to me.
Overall I had a mostly enjoyable time with this film and it’s not often we get a Valentine’s Day-themed action film that offers fun escapism and almost endless amounts of charm, thanks to its leading actor. I recommend giving this one a go as I think it will offer anyone a good time at the theater and satisfy Ke Huy Quan fans like myself. I’m going to give Love Hurts a B = 86.
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