Imagine an action-comedy film about a former-assassin-turned-realtor trying to escape his past. Sprinkle that logline with high-intensity fight sequences, a hint of B-movie quirkiness and Oscar-winners Ke Huy Quan and Ariana DeBose. With a release date one week before Valentine’s Day, the film sounds like a promising date night movie. However, the result of this mix-and-match flick is something that wants to be everything all at once but fails to find a story that will have audiences invested through its underwhelming 83-minute runtime.
“Love Hurts” follows Marvin Gable (Quan), an adorable and accomplished real estate agent who loves his job. On the same day that he receives the highest honor from his boss Cliff Cussick (Sean Astin), he is suddenly attacked by a band of skilled assassins. We learn that Marvin was a former hitman who worked for his brother Alvin “Knuckles” Gable (Daniel Wu) and ultimately became a John Wick-like figure in the underworld. When his past lover Rose (DeBose) returns and presents him with an offer to take down Knuckles’ criminal empire, Marvin must decide whether to continue his peaceful life as a realtor or embrace his tumultuous past.
The film is the directorial debut for fight choreographer Jonathan Eusebio, who is known for his stunt work in the “John Wick” franchise and “Deadpool 2.” Eusebio’s years of experience creatively capturing action sequences shine in this movie, highlighted by a dynamic kitchen fight scene that involves Marvin getting thrown into a refrigerator. Eusebio’s creative direction, Quan’s ability to do his own stunts and a quick editing style create memorable action set pieces. However, the film falters when the dust settles after the fistfights.
While “Love Hurts” tries to be a light-hearted action film with the melodrama of a Hong Kong gangster film, it fails to create a cinematic world where both styles merge well together. The lack of a narrative core only emphasizes how jarring the film’s genre shifts are. The constant jumps from deadbeat gory humor to the drama of an action thriller get old fast. While “Love Hurts” tries to be many different movies at the same time, it struggles to find an emotional drive for even one.
After the tonal awkwardness, overdramatic speeches about loyalty and Jackie Chan-esque physical comedy, audiences are left with a sense of deja vu. While the initial idea of casting Quan as an action hero might feel unique, the film’s execution follows every single checklist for a low-budget Hollywood action film. No matter how eccentric they seem, the characters are all simply cliches from the genre.
The cast is the saving grace within this unfocused movie. Quan thrives in the role of a lovable and meek everyman who moonlights as a deadly martial artist. Though the image of Waymond from “Everything Everywhere All At Once” shimmers around his performance, Quan excels at what he does best, and DeBose’s performance as the assassin Rose works as a focal point for the otherwise messy plotline. To top it all off, the casting of Quan’s “The Goonies” co-star Astin as Cliff results in an endearing moment where the film pulls on their decades-long chemistry.
“Love Hurts” and its attempt to create an unconventional action hero in the form of Quan is memorable –– even Quan himself said that he felt “Love Hurts” seemed like a script for action thriller producer Jason Statham. But the film’s lack of world building and a mismatch of genres results in a movie that loses its initial uniqueness in a heartbeat.
Contact Tony Jaeyeong Jong at [email protected].