After making a triumphant comeback with Everything Everywhere All at Once, it seemed inevitable that Academy Award winner Ke Huy Quan would get his own action film. And what better way to showcase his talent than with 87North Productions, the stunt maestros behind John Wick and Nobody? Quan has spent decades in Hollywood, but Love Hurts finally puts him front and center as a leading man. Unfortunately, while Love Hurts has moments of thrilling action, it doesn’t quite stick the landing—either as an action spectacle or a romantic comedy.
Love Hurts follows Marvin Gable (Ke Huy Quan), a mild-mannered Milwaukee realtor whose past as a criminal comes back to haunt him. When he receives a blood-red envelope from Rose (Ariana DeBose), a former partner-in-crime he left for dead, he’s thrown back into a deadly game of revenge and survival. With his ruthless crime lord brother Knuckles (Daniel Wu) in pursuit, Marvin must navigate double-crosses, bullets and open houses turned battlegrounds. It’s a high-concept premise that promises action and comedy, but Love Hurts struggles to balance the two.
The film’s best part is seeing Ke Huy Quan transform from a charming, everyday realtor into a full-blown action star. Watching him flip switches from nervous salesman to cold-blooded killer is genuinely entertaining, and his fight scenes are spectacular—no surprise given 87North’s involvement. Quan absolutely has the skills to lead an action film, and this movie proves it. But here’s the frustrating part: the film doesn’t give him enough to work with outside of action. Quan has already proven he’s a phenomenal actor (he is an Oscar winner, after all). However, the script does him no favors, reducing his character to a series of reaction shots between fights and forced chemistry between him and Ariana DeBose.
While Love Hurts has moments of thrilling action, it doesn’t quite stick the landing—either as an action spectacle or a romantic comedy.
If Love Hurts wastes Ke Huy Quan, it practically forgets about Ariana DeBose. As Rose, she struts through scenes with an air of mystery but is given little to do. It’s a disappointing role for someone as talented as DeBose, who has already shown her ability to command the screen (West Side Story). Instead of being a complex femme fatale, she feels more like a stylish prop—great for the trailers but forgettable in the movie. Worse still, there’s zero chemistry between Quan and DeBose. For a film marketed as a “Valentine’s Day action romcom,” their dynamic is flat at best.
Let’s be clear about this, though. The action part in this “Valentine’s Day action rom-com” is incredible. The sequences are fluid and well-shot and feature some creative set pieces. But action alone can’t carry a weak story. If a film is going to skimp on the plot, it needs enough fights to make up for it or enough comedy to fill the gaps. Love Hurts doesn’t quite deliver on either. The humor feels awkwardly placed, and the pacing drags between action beats.
Overall, Love Hurts had all the ingredients for a fantastic action flick—Ke Huy Quan in his first starring role, a killer stunt team, and a slick premise. But instead of playing to its strengths, it fumbles the romance, wastes Ariana DeBose, and doesn’t pack enough action to compensate. There are still moments of fun, especially in the fight sequences, but as a whole, the movie never quite finds its tone. It’s great to see Ke Huy Quan getting his due as an action star, but Love Hurts should have been so much more.
Rating: 2.5/5 atoms
Love Hurts hits theaters on February 7th.
