The latest romantic action comedy, “Love Hurts,” falls flat due to its poor execution of all three genres. Despite starring Ke Huy Quan as Marvin Gable, a former hitman turned realtor, the film fails to deliver on its promise of romance, action, or comedy.
Quan’s best efforts can’t save the film from its numerous shortcomings. The script is overworked and lacks depth, resulting in miscast characters and insipid dialogue. The film’s tone is also inconsistent, veering wildly between being a cheesy “Rumble in the Bronx” rip-off and an ode to 70s exploitation cinema.
Quan’s sunny disposition is often at odds with the arrhythmic editing, which undermines the amiable foundation he attempts to build. Unfortunately, Quan never finds a suitable foil for his bubbly personality, making it difficult to invest in the romance between him and Ariana DeBose’s character, Rose Carlisle.
The film’s action scenes are also underwhelming, with poor fight choreography and a lack of memorable deaths. The score is filled with overly dramatic music, but this can’t save the film from its overall aesthetic, which feels like stylistic cosplaying rather than colorful filmmaking.
In short, “Love Hurts” is a disappointment that fails to deliver on its promise of an entertaining action-romance-comedy. With poor writing, inconsistent tone, and lackluster action scenes, it’s a must-miss for fans of the genre.
Source: https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/love-hurts-movie-review-2025-2