Love Hurts fumbles its derivative but catchy premise. Particularly, the drama is stagnant, as each character bluntly repeats their single motivation. Its sole attempt at growth is in the romance, which is completely unearned. Instead, the script prioritizes its painfully boring plot, which tries to mask its fundamental simplicity through unnecessary convolutions. Adding extra side threads only makes a story less engaging. This comes across most obviously in the exposition-heavy dialogue. Its acting suffers as well, which, aside from Quan's natural likability, is very mild and even forced. Consequently, Love Hurts struggles to connect with viewers' hearts or minds.
Technically, Love Hurts shows promise. Though it otherwise flounders, its direction delivers stylized action. The cinematography has active movement, lighting, and focus. Despite some crafty flair, its editing builds no momentum. Consistent risers, stings, subjectivity, and combat make a flavorful soundscape. Although sometimes generic, its music combines jazz scoring with needle drops and brief Western influences. The sterile production design may be symbolic yet is alienating in execution. Its cast offers solid fame, diversity, and fit. The effects rely a bit too heavily on digital violence, but the stunts are good. Overall, Love Hurts' weaknesses obscure its strengths.
Writing: 2/10
Direction: 4/10
Cinematography: 7/10
Acting: 5/10
Editing: 4/10
Sound: 8/10
Score/Soundtrack: 6/10
Production Design: 4/10
Casting: 7/10
Effects: 7/10
Overall Score: 5.4/10
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