Love Hurts Review
With Valentine’s Day season in full swing, there’s no doubt that everyone would want a piece of the theatrical pie. Whether it be something as comedic as You’re Cordially Invited or gruesome as Heart Eyes or even dramatic as Companion, there’s always a Valentine’s Day movie that fits someone’s taste. Of course, that doesn’t necessarily mean that such films can have everything all at once in terms of action and story. But when a film does the best it can, it can result in some very memorable things that will certainly stick with viewers. That’s what Universal Pictures hopes to accomplish with Love Hurts, its own action-packed experience with the Oscar-winning Key Huy Quan front and center.
Love Hurts sees former hitman-turned-real estate agent Marvin Gable (Ke Huy Quan) trying to live a normal life. However, when his old friend Rose (Ariana DeBose) returns out of nowhere, Marvin is suddenly thrown back into the chaos of his old life. With his brother, Knuckles (Daniel Wu), now hunting him down, Marvin must confront his past in order to save whatever’s left in his present.
Love Hurts really likes to make you think in a specific way, especially in its opening moments. However, director Jonathan Eusebio knows that viewers already know this twist and are waiting for that to happen. In the film’s introductory montage, this is clear, with Quan having fun with Marvin as he goes about his daily routine. Yet, you can’t help but feel like the optimistic facade Marvin’s keeping up is really hiding those dark secrets. The camera work really makes you feel this as certain moments make you suspicious of what Marvin’s past really was.
The film itself still delicately balances between having the right amount of comedy and seriousness. The main plot involving Marvin and Rose has its moments to shine even if the dialogue between characters gets straight to the point. In a way, the film really wants to keep audiences on their toes by having this somewhat fast pace. As a direct result, those personal moments between characters, like Marvin and Rose, suffer by having to move to the next thing. Although, there’s still enough time we get with the duo together that makes them fun to watch.
Obviously, Ke Huy Quan is the main attraction of Love Hurts, who shows that he could be this generation’s Jackie Chan. He delivers a positively entertaining performance in every scene as Marvin tries to fight through everything that’s being thrown at him while he’s dealing with being as “normal” as he can be. Alongside DeBose, Quan’s performance helps kick the film into high gear.
Additionally, Love Hurts seems to have the most fun with its diverse cast of side characters. Marshawn Lynch and André Eriksen are incredibly hilarious as they naturally bounce off each other as King and Otis. Both of them really manage to be charismatic and comedic while being intimidating, making you laugh at nearly every turn. Although, there’s this absurd, yet hysterical, bit that the film successfully pulls off with Lio Tipton and Mustafa Shakir. This whole bit, which starts in the second act, really works due to both actors knowing how ridiculous this dynamic is.
However, Eusebio naturally intertwines all of these storylines together to create an exciting experience for audiences. You can’t help but feel like all of these characters really fit into this colorful, yet innately dismal, world that revolves around Marvin’s actions. Everything just seems to fall into place at the right times and the interactions that we get out of these moments fits perfectly. Love Hurts is a fantastic blend of action and comedy and shows with Eusebio’s intended direction.
The action of Love Hurts is a whole level of craziness that goes to show how insane the film’s premise is. Bridger Nielson’s cinematography really brings out those hard-hitting moments and the fight choreography goes wild as every fight scene makes good use of everything. That’s to be expected when you have Bullet Train’s David Leitch also producing. Leitch’s personal touch in these moments are really felt, with the editing almost emulating certain scenes from those movies while still being able to stand out on their own.
Love Hurts is a wild and action-packed Valentine’s Day movie that proves that Ke Huy Quan needs more leading man roles. Though some may have doubted The Goonies and Everything Everywhere All at Once star, it’s clear that he’s capable of being a feature leader with this. The film is still an absolutely entertaining experience with those eye-catching moments and hilarious dynamics, but Quan rocks.
Rating: ★★★½
Love Hurts premieres in theaters on Friday, February 7.
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Christopher Gallardo is a freelance entertainment writer and critic. While not running The Reel Roller, Chris can be found writing reviews and breakdowns on all things films and TV. Outside of entertainment writing, he’s currently taking classes for a Bachelor’s of Science with a minor in Digital Media & Journalism. Plus, he loves Percy Jackson, animated films and shows, and Fallout! Follow Christopher on Instagram & X.
Love Hurts Review
Love Hurts Review