Love Hurts (2025) | Film Review

Love Hurts finally gives everyone’s favorite Goonie, Ke Huy Quan, a starring role as Marvin Gable, a real estate agent who loves his job selling dreams to new homeowners. His boss (fellow Astorian Sean Astin) appreciates him, his clients adore him, even his negative assistant (Lio Tipton) cannot help but root for him. Marvin Gable has a good life.

Unfortunately, it is all a façade. Or is it? Marvin’s true past returns when Rose (Ariana DeBose) – a woman he was supposed to have killed for his coffee-enthusiast kingpin brother, Knuckles (Daniel Wu) – comes knocking. This sets off a horrific series of events that forces Marvin to face more than a few of his recent life choices. What follows is a catch-and-release physical comedy that feels like a spiritual successor in tone to Mark Wahlberg’s The Big Hit. As the many assassins Knuckles hires to hunt down Marvin and Rose close in, the thrilling action set-pieces ratchet up.

Ke Huy Quan does everything, everywhere, all at once, as he attempts to fend off his own history as an enforcer of sorts. All while simultaneously fighting off an entertaining collection of henchmen (led by the hilarious Marshawn “Beastmode” Lynch). Quan’s choreography is top-notch – the fight scenes are exhilarating – and his performance wears a multitude of faces ranging from dramatic to comedic while Marvin searches for his true identity. Any nitpicks with the film have zero to do with Quan, as both his performance and stunt work are on point.

Likewise, Ariana DeBose carries her own weight by infusing Rose with eccentricities and character tics that were doubtful to have existed on the page. Rose is enigmatic and free-spirited. She is the kind of person who is as welcoming as she is dangerous. DeBose and Quan more than prove their mettle as capable leads and captivating stars.

So why did the script fail them so? Not even clocking in at 90 minutes, Love Hurts often feels like a solid half an hour of story is completely missing. Gone. Vanished. It is as if director Jonathan Eusebio was so intent on cutting his film to a breakneck pace, that he forgot to retain the story beats which keep an audience invested.

Ke Huy Quan, Ariana DeBose, and Marshawn Lynch all escape this relatively unscathed as they each deliver strong performances. Quan, especially, obviously put his heart and soul into this role. The detailed and seemingly effortless choreography work rivals Jackie Chan in terms of execution. Unfortunately, the story is lacking, skipping right past necessary exposition.

All told, even though we can’t stop rooting for Quan, Love Hurts is a bit of a heartbreaker.