This movie starts off like a comedy, which is fine if that’s what it’s aiming for, but when you go in expecting action and get slapstick humor instead, it feels off. The tone is all over the place. The story follows Marvin Gable (Ke Huy Quan), a former hitman turned real estate agent, but it doesn’t do much with that concept. It throws him into a situation where his past comes back to haunt him, yet there’s no proper setup, no real stakes, and no explanation for why things happen the way they do. The transitions are rushed, and the pacing feels like the script was pieced together without a clear vision. There’s barely a plot, just a series of chaotic events with little to no build-up.
The directing is a mess. Scenes escalate with no logic, and major moments happen so fast they don’t have any weight. Cinematography is just as frustrating, especially with the camera constantly circling Marvin whenever he’s deep in thought, which happens way too often. At one point, the movie spends nearly half of the second act on him repeating that he needs to “face his past.” It’s exhausting. The fight scenes aren’t much better. One guy throws knives at the ground, what was he aiming at exactly? others conveniently forget they have guns, or they point straight and shoot as if they're part of a first person shooter game. The action is so choreographed and predictable that it loses any tension.
The acting doesn’t help either. Ke Huy Quan does his best, but the role just doesn’t fit him. The supporting cast feels like they’re forcing their performances, especially in the few moments where the movie tries to develop its characters. It’s like they added emotional depth as an afterthought instead of making it feel natural. Then there’s the script, which is a whole other issue. The dialogue is repetitive, with Marvin narrating every single thing he’s about to do instead of just doing it. It makes the movie feel dumbed down, as if the audience needs to be spoon-fed every thought and decision.
Even the music choices are questionable. The score doesn’t match the tone of the scenes, making everything feel even more disconnected. It’s as if someone randomly picked tracks without considering how they fit into the story. By the time the big climax rolls around, the movie has already lost all sense of direction. When Marvin finally fights his past (literally and figuratively), it plays out in the most ridiculous way possible, with one-on-one fights that ignore any logical strategy. In the end, Love Hurts is a frustrating watch, disjointed, poorly executed, and lacking any real impact.