The best thing one can say about Love Hurts is the film offers an 83-minute distraction from doomscrolling on the web or social media apps.

Unfortunately, there’s not really all that much positive to say about the film. Yes, I laughed throughout much of the film and it’s nice to see Oscar-winning actor Ke Huy Quan in a leading role. This is more or less because of certain situations on the screen provoking such laughter. In the long-term, nothing about this film is going to change the genre, whether as an action comedy or romantic-action comedy. Let’s be honest though–this film is more action comedy than romance, if at all. But then again, my focus is really off at the moment due to dehumanizing attacks on transgender rights and an active coup against American democracy.

The gist of Love Hurts is that it is impossible to break up with your past no matter how hard you try. Marvin Gable (Ke Huy Quan) works as a realtor in the Milwaukee suburbs. His co-workers don’t know he’s hiding a huge secret. We learn quickly that his brother, Knuckles (Daniel Wu), has it out for him now that Rose (Ariana DeBose) is back from the dead. There’s a backstory here and it’s probably for the best if I don’t go into it in detail. What I can say is that Rose knows way too much and could very well bring down Knuckles and his entire empire. For what it’s worth, this is probably a good thing.

Kelly McCormick and David Leitch–who gave us The Fall Guy and more–produce Love Hurts so it isn’t shocking that this film is heavy on stunts. Much like Leitch himself, director JoJo Eusebio is also a veteran stunt coordinator. There are plenty of stunts in this revenge-driven action comedy. Some fun, some not so fun. Thankfully, the script gives the film a moment to breathe every now and then. But if I’m being honest for a moment, it’s not an easy watch right now. Homes get turned into war zones in Love Hurts, no differently than they did in October 7. The film takes the situation and turns it into a moment for laughter.

Interestingly, Love Hurts is some two decades in the making. On paper, it’s an interesting premise–can a hitman reinvent himself? We saw how that turned out in Barry to an extent. The difference between Marvin Gable and Barry Berkman is that Marvin leaves his hitman past behind. This reinvention shows why his new regional employee award is so meaningful to him. It’s because he proved to himself that he could find purpose and meaning in his life after leaving his past behind. The idea of redemption is certainly something to appreciate. It’s just that the film didn’t entirely work for me. Not in 2025.

Where this film might have worked a few years ago, I’m sorry to say that it’s just not a film that we really need right now. And again, I did find myself laughing plenty during the theatrical press screening. The better question for me is whether I’d have laughed if watching alone at home. I won’t be able to answer the question because it is unlikely that I end up rewatching Love Hurts anytime soon.

DIRECTOR: JoJo Eusebio
SCREENWRITERS: Matthew Murray & Josh Stoddard and Luke Passmore
CAST: Ke Huy Quan, Ariana DeBose, Daniel Wu, Mustafa Shakir, Lio Tipton, Cam Gigandet, with Marshawn “Beastmode” Lynch and Sean Astin

Universal Pictures will release Love Hurts in theaters on February 7, 2025. Grade: 2.5/5

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