'Love Hurts' is mostly hurt | movie review

Love Hurts follows assassin-turned-realtor is pulled back into his old world of crime when his would-be final target resurfaces.

If you're here for killer fight scenes and Ke Huy Quan's charm, Love Hurts delivers—but don't expect much else. The action, choreographed by stuntman-turned-director Jonathan Eusebio, is thrilling, with standout brawls featuring Marshawn Lynch and Mustafa Shakir. But the messy plot and stitched-together gags make this John Wick-inspired action-comedy more frustrating than fun. If you can endure the chaos, the fights are worth the watch—just don't say they didn't warn you… love does hurt.

Love Hurts is in theaters now.

Ever since John Wick punched, sliced and shot his way through scores of baddies to avenge his dog, its universe of spiritual successors of fast-paced, bare-knuckled, ultra-violent action flicks has expanded under producer David Leitch. Love Hurts, the latest entry in the quasi-genre, attempts to take a more comedic approach as assassin-turned-realtor Marvin Gable (Ke Huy Quan) is yanked back into his underground world of crime when one of his would-be targets Rose (Ariana DeBose) resurfaces to take down Marvin's brother crime boss Knuckles (Daniel Wu). Quan, in many ways, is the ideal star coming off winning an Oscar for another action-comedy Everything Everywhere All At Once that mixes highly choreographed fighting sequences with a cast of oddball characters.

However, where Everything Everywhere felt like love, Love Hurts just hurts.

On a positive note, Quan makes a charming lead, especially when playing amiable star realtor of his company intent on being the best he can be, which is affirmed when his boss and friend Cliff (reuniting Quan with his Goonies co-star Sean Astin) presents him with the Realtor of the Year award. However, he effortlessly switches into action star mode as the movie heats up when Knuckes begins sending goons to capture his brother as a way to get to Rose.

The action is as impressive as any of John Wick movie its subsequent sequels and knock-offs. It's unsurprising that director Jonathan Eusebio began as a stuntman. The fight sequences are when the movie shows the most personality, especially in one between Marvin and Knuckles' henchmen King (a marvelous Marshawn Lynch) and Otis (André Eriksen). In a hilarious bit, Marvin smashes king into a refrigerator before the camera is left inside for it to only reopen when the men stuff Marvin into it. There are also stunning sequences involving assassin and aspiring poet The Raven (Mustafa Shakir) whose violence is offset by his feeling poetry. It's in those scenes that Love Hurts finds its balance between action and comedy. The fights are fast, bloody and damn entertaining. The rest of it… not so much.

The convoluted plot, barely held together even for its short 83 minute runtime, makes no attempts at letting you get lost in the potential delights of its world nor make much sense at all. Bits and gags feel stitched together in a Frankenstein-like edit that feels both overstuffed and way too thin. It's unfortunate because there are moments, especially a simmering romance between The Raven and Marvin's assistant Ashley (Lio Tipton), that conjures up some chuckles or show signs of life. But overall it's a painful mess. I guess they did warn us in the title.

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Hey! I'm Karl. You can find me on Twitter and Letterboxd. I'm also a Tomatometer-approved critic.

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Karl Delossantos

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Hey, I'm Karl, founder and film critic at Smash Cut. I started Smash Cut in 2014 to share my love of movies and give a perspective I haven't yet seen represented. I'm also an editor at The New York Times, a Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic, and a member of the Online Film Critics Society.