Marshawn Lynch

Love Hurts (2025): Sparks Barely Leap Off the Ground in This Action Flick

Posted on by Jack Drees

“Love Hurts” is directed by Jonathan Eusebio (300, The Fall Guy) and this is his directorial debut. The film stars Ke Huy Quan (Everything Everywhere All at Once, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom), Ariana DeBose (West Side Story, Wish), Daniel Wu (American Born Chinese, Into the Badlands), Mustafa Shakir (The Deuce, Luke Cage), Lio Tipton (Warm Bodies, Two Night Stand), Cam Gigandet (Reckless, The O.C.), Marshawn Lynch (Bottoms, Westworld), and Sean Astin (The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles). This film is about a realtor whose past comes back to haunt him when he receives a message from his former partner-in-crime.

Everyone loves a comeback story, although in the case of Ke Huy Quan, I am going to channel LL Cool JJ and say that he has been here for years. The reality is, whether we knew it or not, Ke Huy Quan has remained the slightest bit active behind the scenes leading up to his big return in front of the camera, “Everything Everywhere All at Once.” If it were not for the deserved success of that movie, chances are we would never get a film like “Love Hurts,” which I was looking forward to. It kind of had a mainstream, 2010s, 2020s-esque action flick feel that you would get out of a film like “John Wick” or “Nobody” with some twists and turns, but like those movies, the choreography and scenes looked stellar in the marketing.

As off and on as I am about “star power” in a movie, Ke Huy Quan is the reason why I watched “Love Hurts.” But how could he not be? The actor played a significant role in my favorite film of 2022, won an Oscar, and when he is not busy taking names, he is taking selfies with every star he can find. This is part of why I am disappointed to say that “Love Hurts” is not that great.

“Love Hurts” is not horrible, but if I have any real highlights for the film, they certainly would not be for the characters. Some could argue that since this is an action movie one does not always come for the characters, but the way I see things, the less engaged I am with the characters, the less engaged I am with the action. I will defend the action scenes from a technical perspective. I do not think there was a single bad sequence. In fact, there are a couple that I am still thinking about and find to be incredibly creative. But this film seems to be more concerned in showing off what its talent can do, as opposed to what its characters can do.

If you are seeing this movie solely for Ke Huy Quan, then he is probably not going to disappoint you. Other parts of the movie might, but I do not think Quan is going to be one of them. Not only does Quan solidify himself as a buttkicking action star with his role of Marvin Gable, but he is charismatic. He brings a unique energy to this genre of filmmaking. A lot of our modern action stars like Jason Statham, Keanu Reeves, and Liam Neeson tend to have this obviously masculine aura to them both in terms of the way they look and act on screen. Ke Huy Quan very much screams cute, but not cuddly. I think the movie was smart to make him a dedicated real estate agent. Even if his character was not hiding something underneath, I think Quan is a good fit to play someone working in that industry.

This is a movie that I cannot see myself revisiting in its entirety, but instead rewatching certain clips on YouTube. Because there are a couple cool scenes where we see Marvin Gable either trying to defend his award, or dodge some baddies while trying to keep a house together for example. The movie goes at a brisk pace, and with an 84 minute runtime, that should not be a shocker. For the most part, the film is simple and effective in terms of progressing the narrative. It is not a unique narrative. But does have a soft flair one does not typically find in these types of action movies. As the film continues, however, things get more convoluted, and therefore, unmemorable.

Also, Ariana DeBose is in this film, a great actress in her own right, but I am convinced she needs a new agent. Yes, she was fantastic in “West Side Story.” But just about everything afterwards was critically panned or unmemorable. Between “Argylle,” “Kraven the Hunter,” and now this… She is not on the hottest of streaks. Yes, I liked “Wish.” I stand by that opinion. Yes, I liked “I.S.S.,” but not a lot of people thought it was worth seeing considering it failed to make its budget back. As I am writing this paragraph, I forgot the name of her character. That is not the best of signs. Granted, I have also forgotten the names of characters for movies I enjoy, but I bring this up because you might as well just name this character “the love interest” or “the girl.” The movie could have fleshed out this character more and individualized her to a better degree. It does however do okay when it comes to establishing Ke Huy Quan’s infatuation with her, but sometimes the film tells such a concept when it really should just show it.

Interesting enough, for those who do want to know the name of DeBose’s character, that, my friends, is Rose. For the record, I know people named Rose, and I am aware it is not the most uncommon name. But that has to be on purpose. It reminds me of a theory my dad has about Cliff Booth in “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.” He thinks the character, who is accused of killing his spouse, has the last name Booth, just so the script can allow for someone else to refer to him as “John Wilkes Booth” in a scene. 

The film is centered around Valentine’s Day, and this presents a potential problem for rewatchability in the same way I look at Christmas movies. I have nothing against watching “Fred Claus.” But I would not watch it outside of November or December. Unfortunately, “Love Hurts” is barely good enough for February. If you want a good Valentine’s Day-centric action movie, there is one already, and it is called “Deadpool.” Heck, it could even be a good watch around Christmas. Or literally any day of the year, it is perfect.

“Love Hurts” is the directorial debut from Jonathan Eusebio. I do not think he should automatically give up directing based on this one lackluster product. Although if he were to continue, I hope his sophomore outing is better than this. On the bright side, Eusebio at least has some credibility in the industry. He has shown his talents helping coordinate stunts and choreography in films like “The Fall Guy,” “Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End,” and the first three “John Wick” installments. Some of this film’s strongest elements are the action scenes, and it comes as no surprise knowing who helped direct said scenes.

In the end, “Love Hurts” neither left me infatuated or brokenhearted. If anything, the movie is just okay. If you put the film on silent, I would still pay attention to the visuals. But as I said before, this movie packs a lot in it by the time it is over that I did not really care about the film’s substance. I would love to see Ke Huy Quan in more projects. I am glad he is voicing a character in the upcoming “Zootopia” sequel, but I would also be open to more live-action roles as well. I think he is talented and would not be a surprise if he puts another Oscar on his shelf in the future. However, I do not think anyone will be winning any Academy Awards for this film. I am going to give “Love Hurts” a 5/10.

“Love Hurts” is now playing in theaters. Tickets are available now.

Thanks for reading this review! My next reviews are going to be for “The Brutalist” and “I’m Still Here.” Stay tuned! If you want to see these reviews and more from Scene Before, follow the blog either with an email or WordPress account! Also, check out the official Facebook page! I want to know, did you see “Love Hurts?” What did you think about it? Or, who is an actor that has not done any work in a while that you think has a pretty good chance of making a comeback? Is there anyone you would like to see who has not been on screen in a while? Let me know down below! Scene Before is your click to the flicks!

Bottoms (2023): A Rambunctious, Raunchy Comedy That is Too Cool for School

Posted on by Jack Drees

“Bottoms” is written and directed by Emma Seligman (Shiva Baby, Void) and stars her co-writer, Rachel Sennott (Bodies Bodies Bodies, Call Your Mother). Joining her in this cast are actors including Ayo Edebiri (Big Mouth, Up Next), Ruby Cruz (Mare of Easttown, Willow), Havana Rose Liu (No Exit, Mayday), Kaia Gerber (American Horror Stories, Babylon), Nicholas Galitzine (Cinderella, Chambers), Miles Fowler (Women of the Movement, The Resident), Dagmara Domińczyk (Succession, We Own This City), and Marshawn Lynch (80 for Brady, Westworld). This film is about two queer girls who start a fight club in their high school that they say is meant to empower women. Only thing, the duo started the club to potentially get lucky with cheerleaders.

The concept of this movie won me over as soon as I heard it. From the very beginning, “Bottoms” sounded like a bombastic, ridiculous good time. Little did I know what I was in for, because I went in expecting this film to be a fine mix of violent and naughty scenes, but this movie overdelivered on its premise because it does not feel like something that fits in our world. It feels like someplace much goofier, perhaps a little more fun than our world. If anything, “Bottoms” plays like a live-action episode of “Family Guy.” That is if “Family Guy” centered around two teenage girls. It is horny, fast, and over the top. Not once was I bored, and I was overwhelmed with the sense of immersion this movie gave me from scene one. I often think about some of my favorite movies like “Blade Runner” and “2001: A Space Odyssey” and when it comes to those films in particular, they emit a certain atmosphere from start to finish. I am not saying “Bottoms” is on the same level those two films, but the atmosphere of this film does a really good job at taking me from my world to the one inside the screen. “Bottoms” is not my favorite movie of the year. In fact, when it comes to this year in comedy, I still give a slight edge to “Joy Ride,” which deserved to do much better at the box office.

Having seen “Bottoms” in live-action, the movie works perfectly the way it is. But I think an argument can be made to justify setting this universe in an animated form. There are a lot of moments that feel cartoony, but yet they never take me out of the movie. Because the vibe is clearly established from the beginning. It goes for such a quick, almost blink you’ll miss it pace from scene one, and it never stops. The best live-action comparison that comes to mind is “Scott Pilgrim vs. the World.” Because the film’s dynamic stylization feels like a graphic novel come to life. Once the film kicks into gear, it is full of incredibly kinetic energy. “Bottoms” does not have the colorful stylization “Scott Pilgrim” has, but when it comes to dialogue, displayed mannerisms, and personality, this film reaches for the end zone. Plus there are moments of the movie that do not feel they would happen in our lives, but work super well for that world. One of the storylines of “Bottoms” involves the two leads getting into hot water over ruining an egotistical high school football player’s chances of being able to play. How so? By tapping his kneecaps with a car while his girlfriend sits in the backseat. The reaction on said football player’s part is equal to if I were ever so slightly gored by a bull. It completely jumps the shark, but I cannot help but embrace it. And while there are hints of realism in this scenario, the school takes this issue to a level that feels more important than, I do not know, making sure students barely pay attention in advanced algebra.

Say what you want about “high school drama.” This film does a good job at taking situations that may seem silly and miniscule, and making them come off as if they have significantly higher stakes. And as everything is going down, I am rooting for the two leads. Both of them are likable and are well played by their respective performers. Rachel Sennott and Ayo Edebiri are a perfect combo. Speaking of perfect combos, Havana Rose Liu and Kaia Gerber do a fantastic job as the cheerleaders who just so happen to be heavily desired by the two leads. I am as straight as they come, that said I can see why these two leads were attracted to these particular cheerleaders.

But when it comes to the high school in “Bottoms,” this place is in contention to be the single greatest on-screen school in cinematic history. Not because of their ability to educate. Actually kind of the opposite. It goes to show how little the movie takes itself seriously. Because not only are the students and staff, primarily those who we see on screen most of the time, charming as heck. But one of the reasons why “Bottoms” works so well as a comedy is because when it comes to establishing its high school, it is often riddled with things would often get a traditional high school either investigated or shut down. One of the best gags of the movie are the moments when the loudspeaker is being used, and it brings out moments where the principal asks the two leads to come see him, all the while referring to them as “gay and untalented.”

I mentioned this movie is horny. And I am not just talking about the teens. Of course they are horny. They are teenagers. What do you expect? But this movie has a teacher, MARVELOUSLY portrayed by Marshawn Lynch, a freaking football player, having a casual conversation with the leads all the while exposing a dirty magazine. The school football team all look like Ken dolls come to life. Speaking of horny, the school football team happens to be marketing themselves throughout the movie, encouraging supporters to “get horny” for them.

When I watch certain movies, I will sometimes say that there are things that do not add up or make sense within everything the film is trying to showcase on screen. In the case of “Bottoms,” the high level of absurdity of the film is played in its favor. The vibe of the film is clearly established from the beginning. It is almost like a drug. The film knows what it is. It refuses to take itself seriously, and it is all the better for it.

But just because “Bottoms” manages to be constantly naughty, does not mean it stays away from feeling sweet. I am not going to go into much detail as to what the sweet moments are, but there are one or two moments in the movie that allow me to breathe in a story that is presented at such a breakneck pace, and they provided a fine mix of innocence and grace. They were very well executed.

Comedy, like many other aspects of art, happens to be a completely subjective matter. When it comes to the comedy of “Bottoms,” I was laughing consistently. Between this film, “No Hard Feelings,” and “Joy Ride,” I am really glad we are starting to witness a comeback of great raunchy comedy in cinema. If we can get more films like these that are just as good, I will continue to check them out.

In the end, “Bottoms” is one of my top movies of the summer. Again, when it comes to pure laughter and humor, I think “Joy Ride” is slightly better. But “Bottoms” is a close second regarding comedy this year. I do not think we had a year in cinema this decent for comedy since 2018. Ever since COVID-19 started, I feel like pure, straight-up comedies have been missing from the movie market, which is kind of sad because after the start of a pandemic where everything is depressing and seemingly world-ending, you would want a good laugh every once in a while. These movies have all done that with excellence, with “Bottoms” being the latest example. The writing is on point, the casting is perfect, including Marshawn Lynch to my delightful surprise, and it is a rare film where I accept its unserious, goofy tendencies. Not once do they feel distracting. This is a movie that I would not mind watching again if given the chance, and I imagine it aging better with each viewing. I am going to give “Bottoms” an 8/10.

“Bottoms” is now playing in theaters. It is also available to buy on VOD.

Thanks for reading this review! My next reviews are going to be for “A Haunting in Venice,” “The Creator,” and “Dumb Money.” Stay tuned! If you want to see this and more from Scene Before, follow the blog either with an email or WordPress account! Also, check out the official Facebook page! I want to know, did you see “Bottoms?” As silly of a question as that sounds, I am being serious. Did you watch the movie “Bottoms?” What did you think about it? Or, what is a movie you admire that refuses to take itself seriously? Let me know down below! Scene Before is your click to the flicks!