Reel Review: Hurry Up Tomorrow Is An Aimless Vanity Project For The Weeknd
The Weeknd, known for his unique but referential sound and curated persona, has infiltrated theaters with his new feature film. Positioned as a self-referential, yet fictional story about the persona of The Weeknd, this movie intends to bring audiences closer to an artistic vision only Abel Tesfaye could execute.
Abel, positioned between current A-list talent including Jenna Ortega and Barry Keoghan felt entirely out of place. While this movie was clearly supposed to be a mix of fact and fiction, the clear distinction between the two was Tesfaye’s acting. Not only was there little to no plot, but the technical aspects read more as a drug induced fever dream supported by dizzying visuals.
Act one proposes an interesting start to each of the characters. Abel as A-list talent supported by his manager Lee (Keoghan), who is tired of, yet still partakes in, the party culture of LA and celebrity life. Struggling with issues related to the health of his voice, Abel is coerced into performing by his manager Lee. As one could predict, the concert ends with a staggering moment of failure, which was a reflection of one of The Weeknd’s previous real life performances. Anima (Jenna Ortega) is a struggling young adult who we see set fire to her home at the start of the film. Connecting with Abel and locking eyes during his disastrous concert, the two form a connection that leads to a night of odd occurrences.
While the set up of the film proposes a lot of interesting directions, none of the moments connect. The characters are barely developed and go through an hour and half of inflated events that may or may not be real. There is no character development or redeeming qualities that keep you engaged through the entire run. Every time you believe something important or progressive is going to happen, the music and pointless visual cuts intersect to distract you.
The mix of real events and fictionalized characters posed an interesting potential for the film, but ultimately this serves as a cautionary tale for any artist pursuing a passion project that is intimately personal to their own lives. Hurry Up Tomorrow is a confusing mix of a concert documentary, biopic, music video, and fictionalized look at celebrity culture in the modern age. While it attempts to make poignant commentary on a variety of topics, none of them leave a lasting impression.
The tortured artist story is nothing new, and the struggling celebrity narrative may be repetitive in this landscape, but usually lands in a compelling space where people feel the need to stay engaged to the end. Tesfaye’s lack of acting talents pinned against current all-stars is jarring to watch. This pointless attempt at creating something deep and meaningful with The Weeknd’s music, visuals, and level of fame compile into a drawn out and ultimately pointless story.
Hurry Up Tomorrow is playing in theaters now.
