Coming Soon: ‘Love Hurts’ And ‘Anak Kunti’
Domestic: The preview for the upcoming blockbuster Love Hurts teases an action-comedy helmed by Ke Huy Quan in his first leading role. Marvin Gable (Ke Huy Quan) is a successful realtor living in bliss until he's delivered an ominous Valentine stating "Hiding ain't living," the last words he said to his ex, Rose (Ariana DeBose). Surprise! Marvin used to be a hitman, and his estranged brother is out for revenge for a past betrayal. He's forced to fight off henchmen in his properties and office and eventually comes face-to-face with his brother. The cliches underscoring the film's premise – hidden identity, jilted lover, colliding worlds – feel extremely familiar, but are slightly freshened by Quan's charm as he delivers quips between kicks and punches with ease. Though the story itself is fairly derivative – and even strikingly similar to 87North produced film Nobody (2021) – Quan brings hope in elevating the material. The film was produced through 87North Productions and will be distributed by Universal Pictures.
First-time director Jonathan Eusebio – formerly a stunt coordinator on John Wick (2014), Black Panther (2018), and Deadpool 2 (2018) – developed the story several years ago and told The Hollywood Reporter he found his ideal star when seeing Quan’s awards run for his role in Everything Everywhere All At Once (2022). Quan won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor in 2023, and one year prior, DeBose won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for her role in West Side Story (2021). With its lead and supporting actors from recent Oscar wins, Love Hurts is likely to draw audiences with its sheer star power. Other notable cast members include Marshawn Lynch – the former NFL player who showed off his comedy chops in 2023’s Bottoms – and Rhys Darby, longtime comedian and lead in HBO Max’s Our Flag Means Death (2021-22).
Love Hurts is slated to be released on February 7th, 2024, and faces competition against Marvel Studios’ Captain America: Brave New World, which releases on Feb.14. The latter is a follow-up to the Disney+ series The Falcon and Winter Soldier (2021), and it remains to be seen how enthusiastic audiences will be for a film that has additional assigned viewing. With superhero fatigue and a highly-anticipated leading-man debut on its side, Love Hurts is likely to rake in millions this February.
International: The Indonesian horror film Anak Kunti (Kunti’s Child) explores the folktale of the kuntilanak ghost, a popular Southeast Asian folktale about a woman who dies during childbirth or of male-inflicted violence and returns as a vengeful spirit. Sarah (Gisellma Firmansyah) is an orphan whose mother died in an attack on her village, at the hands of a man briefly shown in flashback. After being plagued with nightmares, she returns to her home village to uncover her past, bringing torment along with her. "We must kick her out!" one man fervently says after the ghost terrorizes the village.
Horror is a dominant genre in Indonesia, with many films building off of familiar folk stories to create feature films, and the kuntilanak is not unfamiliar ground. Films featuring the paranormal figure include The Chanting (2006), and the Kuntinalak franchise spawning three films. Still, Anak Kunti takes an entirely different approach by having its protagonist be the Kuntinalak's child. The protagonist occupies a morally gray area between light and dark that invites the opportunity for the story to take intriguing turns and provide a unique take on the folktale. The trailer boasts some chilling scares, but what new thrills it brings to the table remains to be seen. The film is produced by Kipas Kipas, Nuon, Drias Film Production, Bangun Pagi Pictures, and Creator Pictures and distributed by Horizon Film Entertainment.
Anak Kunti is directed by Bambang Drias, who previously directed Paku Tanah Jawa (2024), The Secret 2: Mystery of Villa 666 (2021), and Kajeng Kliwon, Nightmare in Bali (2019). With several horror films under his belt, Drias has experience on his side. Anak Kunti will be released on Feb. 20 in Indonesia, Brunei, Malaysia, and Singapore. It will be in theaters when Iblis Dalam Kandungan 2: Deception and Desa Mati: The Movie are released on February 27, 2025, and March 6, 202,5 respectively. Facing competition from other horror films, Anak Kunti’s true test will be if it comes out on top.
