Abel Tesfaye, better known to the world as The Weeknd, has spent over a decade serenading listeners with hypnotic vocals and emotionally raw lyrics. But in 2025, he’s stepped off the stage and onto the screen in Hurry Up Tomorrow, a psychological thriller that doubles as both a feature film and a companion to his newest album. Directed by acclaimed filmmaker Trey Edward Shults, this moody, fragmented tale marks The Weeknd’s official silver screen debut as the leading actor. The only problem? Hardly anyone is watching.
About the film
Hurry Up Tomorrow follows a fictionalised version of The Weeknd, portrayed by Tesfaye himself, as he spirals into an internal descent of fame-induced exhaustion, surreal fan encounters, and personal disintegration. Barry Keoghan plays Lee, a confidante and hype man, while Jenna Ortega takes on the role of Anima, a dangerously devoted fan whose obsession may or may not be real.
Shot with dreamlike visuals, synth-heavy soundscapes, and shadowy aesthetics, the film is less a traditional narrative and more a sensory experience. It’s a dark, slow burn — dripping in style but seemingly light on substance. And that’s where audiences and critics have taken issue.
“A vanity project disguised as a film”
The online backlash has been swift and merciless. Social media platforms like X and Reddit are teeming with dismayed reactions, many criticising the film’s lack of structure and Tesfaye’s performance. “#HurryUpTomorrow – Easily one of the worst movies of the decade,” one user wrote. “A movie that can’t even be saved by a powerhouse of a performance by Jenna Ortega.” Another review echoed that sentiment: “It felt like little more than a vanity project. It’s all aesthetic—moody lighting, sultry music, lingering close-ups—but there’s no real narrative to latch onto. Abel wants to be seen as this tortured artist, but it just feels self-indulgent and boring.” Even longtime fans of The Weeknd expressed disappointment saying, “I’m a big fan of Abel, but this was god awful. It’s not a movie—it’s a visualizer with 15 minutes of actual story stretched into nearly two hours.”
There are also growing concerns about Trey Edward Shults’ career direction. Despite helming Waves, a cult favorite from 2019, Shults now finds himself under scrutiny for what some perceive as a massive misstep. “Honestly, I fear for Trey Edward Shults’ future,” one Reddit user noted. “The Weeknd’s ego won here. It’s a mess.”
Where did it go wrong?
From the outset, Hurry Up Tomorrow felt like a gamble — a blurring of lines between cinema and album, art and ego. What might have worked as an extended music video or conceptual short film struggles to hold up under the expectations of a full-length theatrical release.
Tesfaye’s performance, while earnest, lacks the emotional nuance needed to anchor such a complex role. Instead of revealing hidden depths, his acting often feels flat, especially when placed beside Ortega’s intensity and Keoghan’s charisma.
The film’s failure also exposes a larger trend: musicians trying to cross into film with mixed results. While some, like Lady Gaga and Justin Timberlake, have successfully pivoted, others, especially when self-producing or co-writing their roles, risk becoming too insular, losing the audience in the process.
With a ridiculously low rating on Rotten Tomatoes and only negative feedback from fans, Hurry Up Tomorrow seems poised to go down not as The Weeknd’s cinematic breakthrough, but as a cautionary tale. It’s a project born out of ambition and self-expression, but one that forgets the most essential part of filmmaking: the audience.
