Hurry Up Tomorrow (2025)
Canadian singer The Weeknd co-wrote and stars in Hurry Up Tomorrow, a film that is a companion piece to his recent album of the same name (full disclosure: this critic has not listened to the album). It's a mess.
In director Trey Edward Shults' film,
The Weeknd plays a fictionalized version of himself (with the same name) on the
edge of a nervous breakdown while on tour. His voice is giving out, and he's
being weepy and having self-pity about a recent breakup. The movie makes it
clear that he is not blameless in that affair and that it's part of a pattern.
After flaking out at a concert, The
Weeknd forges a brief connection with Anima (Jenna Ortega), a young woman we
first see setting fire to a house. They seem to bond at first over their mutual
brokenness, but things quickly take a darker turn.
On the positive side, Shults does
create some striking visuals (warning: anyone with any sensitivity to flashing
lights should stay far away). However, the story is shapeless and hollow. Both
leads are too whiny, self-indulgent, and hurtful to others to garner much
sympathy or interest. The movie also doesn't seem sure of what it wants to be.
The final 40 minutes sharply veer into thriller territory. Whether it's trying
for character study, romantic drama, or horror/thriller, Hurry Up Tomorrow never
becomes involving.
It's likely that only hardcore fans of
The Weeknd will have any interest in this.
