Review: Ke Huy Quan's LOVE HURTS Has Some Cool Action but Fails to Make an Impact
Love Hurts is a weird one. It’s got all the ingredients for a great action movie with some really cool fight scenes, some fun action, and a cast that should be able to carry it, but something about it just doesn’t click.
The movie is unique in its approach, but unique doesn’t always mean good. There are enjoyable moments, no doubt, and some of the action sequences are impressive, but the story is so familiar and the dialogue so awkward that it never fully comes together.
I was excited to watch this movie. Ke Huy Quan and Ariana DeBose are both great actors that I’ve enjoyed watching in their films, and I love seeing Quan take on leading roles. But I felt like I was watching a direct-to-VOD action flick.
The film centers on an ex-criminal turned suburban realtor being dragged back into a violent past, and it’s a concept that has potential. But the way it’s executed feels clunky, like the movie can’t decide if it wants to be self-aware or take itself seriously.
Quan and DeBose do what they can with the material they are given, but they’re working with dialogue that often feels stiff and unnatural. There’s a version of this movie that works, but this isn’t quite it.
That’s especially surprising given the team behind it. With producers who’ve delivered Nobody, Atomic Blonde, Violent Night, and The Fall Guy, you’d expect a sharp, stylish, and well-paced action thriller.
Instead, Love Hurts feels a little undercooked. First-time director JoJo Eusebio, a seasoned stunt coordinator, clearly knows how to craft action, but the storytelling and character work don’t hold up their end of the deal.
There are flashes of creativity with the fight sequences, but they’re surrounded by a plot we’ve seen a hundred times before.
I wanted to like this movie more! The action is there, the cast is solid, and there’s an attempt at something cool, but it just doesn’t land. If you’re looking for some mindless, well-choreographed fights, Love Hurts has its moments. But if you’re hoping for something that sticks with you, this one fades fast.