Where to watch Love Hurts
3 Stars
A realtor is pulled back into the life he left behind after his former partner-in-crime resurfaces with an ominous message. With his crime-lord brother also on his trail, he must confront his past and the history he never fully buried…
For those who have seen the 1992 martial arts film Breathing Fire, it comes as no surprise that Ke Huy Quan, an Oscar recipient, is capable of performing in action scenes. His beta-male demeanor and physical appearance hide an agility and ability to execute the signature coreographed sequences from the maestros at 87Eleven stunts. Love Hurts is simple-minded, streamlined, and would have made a perfect star vehicle for Jackie Chan thirty years ago. Sure, the movie is akin to fast food, but sometimes a burger and fries hit the spot.
The screenplay features nearly all the genre’s tropes, plus a poet-spouting assassin and a Sean Austin monologue that briefly adds gravitas. Ariana Debose, a fellow Oscar winner, is adequate as Rose—a plot contrivance posing as a central character—though her final act choice seems illogical. Love Hurts is a high-energy time waster in a similar vein to Bob Odenkirk’s Nobody series of films; think of it as a kinder, gentler John Wick.
Directed by: Jonathan Eusebio
Written by: Matthew Murray, Josh Stoddard, Luke Passmore
Starring: Ke Huy Quan, Ariana DeBose, Mustafa Shakir