By George & Josh Bate
Canadian singer-songwriter Abel Tesfaye, otherwise known by his stage name The Weeknd, has been one of the most enigmatic and influential artists of the past decade. Having already taken the music industry by storm, Tesfaye has, in recent years, stepped into the world of acting, first with the divisive HBO series film The Idol. That foray didn’t exactly come as a surprise, as The Weeknd has made a name for himself in part through his wild, cinematic-esque music videos, making it clear that Tesfaye is interested in expanding his horizons beyond the stage. Now, in 2025, Tesfaye follows his HBO series with something that, at the very least, follows that same contentious and provocative nature. Hurry Up Tomorrow, helmed by director Trey Edward Shults, whose previous work includes the critically acclaimed It Comes at Night, is arguably Tesfaye’s most ambitious career work to date, as the musician takes on several roles for the film: co-writer, producer, and star.
Hurry Up Tomorrow focuses on Abel Tesfaye, playing a fictionalized version of himself, as he deals with mental health struggles, addiction, and a recent traumatic breakup. Abel becomes weary while performing, with his voice giving out and a doctor recommending that he take a break from touring all together. As he abruptly leaves a concert in the middle of his performance, the singer meets a fan named Anima (Jenna Ortega), with whom he runs away with for the night. Their relationship quickly becomes intense, with the story diving into themes of obsession, fame, and the pressures of celebrity status.
If that story sounds familiar, that’s because it is; in many ways, Hurry Up Tomorrow feels like The Weeknd’s personal remix of the Stephen King classic Misery or, perhaps even more accurately, Eminem’s Stan song/music video. Unlike Stan, which tells the story of a fan turned enemy within a six minute timeframe, Hurry Up Tomorrow takes over 90 minutes to do the same. That isn’t inherently a bad thing, but the execution leaves much to be desired. The film is extremely slow paced, so much so that it’s likely to make the audience wish for tomorrow to hurry up so that the movie can be finished already. The story itself is intriguing, hence why it’s been retooled and retold by various artists over the years, although it’s told in such a way that bores rather than captivates.
A particularly prevalent causal factor for this feeling is just how little is being conveyed to the audience throughout. Character development is scarce, demonstrated by the fact that little is known Tesfaye’s protagonist, and what backstory the audience has is essentially just whatever knowledge they have about The Weeknd prior to watching the film.
Meanwhile, Jenna Ortega’s obsessive fan character feels like a plot device more than anything. The presence of a thinly explored character who can be boiled down to a story device is common in film. However, when your movie only has three primary characters, one of whom (Barry Keoghan’s Lee) isn’t an active member of the story, giving such little substance to Ortega proves to be a fatal error.
Similarly, the same can be said for the story. A synopsis was provided above, and although it was brief, it covers virtually every aspect of the story of Hurry Up Tomorrow. Frankly, if the full plot of a film can be covered in a mere sentence or two, then it’s clear that there’s a lack of depth, detail, and substance. Again, this plays into the pacing as well, as telling a story so simple and mundane as this in such a slow manner is nothing but a recipe for disaster.
Interestingly, one of Hurry Up Tomorrow’s strengths is Abel Tesfaye’s performance. The singer received immense criticism for his performance in The Idol, leaving many to label him as a poor actor, but he’s massively improved here. Tesfaye plays a broken man extremely well, and successfully captures the behavior, mannerisms, and emotional vulnerability of someone undergoing the mental and physical health issues that his character has in this film.
Tesfaye’s fictional iteration of himself deteriorates as the film goes on, a downfall that can be attributed to a combination of substance use, attachment issues, fame, and his voice giving out. The film is surprisingly critical of The Weeknd at times, with the singer’s failures being highlighted just as much as his successes, and Tesfaye takes the opportunity to dive deep into a self depreciating performance. If anything, the vulnerability that Tesfaye shows by portraying himself in such a flawed way is a major reason to watch the film.
VERDICT: 5/10
Hurry Up Tomorrow makes for an ambitious and experimental, yet deeply flawed, take on the struggles of superstar The Weeknd. Director Trey Edward Shults’ film is admirably self-reflective of Abel Tesfaye, and while the film struggles in many areas, mainly pacing, character development, and the depth of the narrative, it also provides the singer with the platform to give the best acting performance of his career to date. The way in which Tesfaye portrays a crumbling, broken version of himself is haunting, and the director’s own willingness to go along with the criticism of its leading man is brutally bold and unexpected. Unfortunately, Hurry Up Tomorrow ultimately fails to capture the attention of the audience, and while that may be enough to turn viewers away, the film still stands out as a provocative story of an undeniably talented yet flawed real life celebrity.