‘Love Hurts’ is a Nearly Unbearable, Painfully Awkward Action Film

Love Hurts

★

‘Love Hurts’ is a Valentine’s Day card to action movie fans. The problem is, it’s poorly written and offers little substance. The candy heart inside that says “be mine” leaves a chalky, bitter aftertaste. It’s supposed to be mindless, action-romance fun. In actuality, it’s clunky, annoying and kind of painful to watch.

Usually in an action film, fans can say to themselves something like, “At least there were decent fight scenes.” But even the fight scenes overstay their welcome. They start off on the wrong foot each time and never find a decent rhythm.

Ke H uy Quan as Marvin and Marshawn Lynch as King
© 2025 Universal Pictures

Marvin Gable (Ke Huy Quan) is currently a successful residential real estate agent. His brother is criminal underworld boss Alvin ‘Knuckles’ Gable (Daniel Wu). In a previous life, Marvin was Knuckles’ enforcer and hitman. Marvin was allowed to leave Knuckles’ employment in exchange for one final job – killing Rose Carlisle (Ariana DeBose). Rose must be killed because she stole money from Knuckles.

Apparently, if you steal from Knuckles, you’re supposed to die. The problem is, Marvin has a flame for Rose. He lets her live but tells Knuckles he killed her and goes off to start his new life in real estate.

The movie starts with Marvin enjoying his new real estate success, only to be attacked by The Raven (Mustafa Shakir) in his office during a Valentine’s Day party, because word got out that Rose is alive. Marvin knocks The Raven out, leaves him in his office and rushes home, only to be attacked in his kitchen by two more Kunckles cronies, King (former Seattle Seahawk running back Marshawn Lynch) and Renny (Cam Gigandet).

After a bloody fight that feels more like a poorly scripted dance of punches, kicks and stabbings, Marvin subdues his attackers and escapes them. The fact that any of them are still alive requires us to use almost all of our suspension of disbelief.

Ke Huy Quan as Marvin Gable
© 2025 Universal Pictures

The moment Marvin escapes King and Renny, he’s tased in his front yard. By Rose.

Rose wants Marvin to help her take down Knuckles, and the men who set her up, so that she can get back to her life. She wants Marvin to do the same, but he really likes being a real estate agent, so he is very reluctant to help her. The fact that she should have stayed in hiding and left well enough alone is beside the point.

The plot is a mess, and the dialogue is awkward and off-balance. The action sequences felt like over-stylized choreographed afterthoughts.

‘Love Hurts’ should have been a fun, brainless romantic martial arts action romp. Instead, it’s a Valentine’s Day card I want to return to sender.