“Hurry Up Tomorrow” is a psychological thriller produced and starring Abel Tesfaye. Tesfaye’s role, The Weeknd, is a tormented pop star who is fighting a battle internally with his state of mind and insomnia which is taking a toll on his performance.
To everyone around him, Tesfaye is a supernova and his voice brings out a series of emotions from his fans. It is expected of him to give the best performance possible almost like it’s his whole worth and it begins to consume him.
Alongside his co-stars Jenna Ortega and Barry Keoghan, Tesfaye is the only one playing himself in the film. While he is playing The Weeknd, this is not a traditional biopic.
This film in particular seems to be directed towards a specific audience. As an artist The Weeknd has a rather large fanbase who are familiar with past struggles so to any other person the concept of this film may be a bit skeptical.
During The Weeknd’s performance at SoFi Stadium on Sept. 2, 2022, for his After Hours Til Dawn Tour, he lost his voice mid-performance. He later revealed that stress and self-imposed pressure was the cause of that versus a physical injury. Tesfaye wanted to replicate that situation and create a visual representation of what that moment felt like to share with everyone.
One of the main concepts of this film is sleep paralysis which can be viewed as the overall antagonist. In some cases of sleep paralysis people will see a shadowy figure or hear unsolicited noises and this movie captures that very well. The effects allow the audience to feel like they have entered a vivid nightmare and can see how much of a toll insomnia is taking on Tesfaye.
The special effects are one of the most admirable factors of the production and play a key role in the storytelling. The visuals allow the viewers to feel the intensity of the scene almost capturing what a hallucination feels like. Anytime there was a close-up of the character’s face, their expressions consume the entire screen.
This is not Tesfaye’s acting debut. Back in 2023 he produced and starred in HBO’s, “The Idol” which marked the beginning of his acting career. Over the years many musicians have entered the movie industry but not many have attempted production. What makes this film standout is that it is extremely personal.
Not only does the entire soundtrack consist of The Weeknd’s songs but also every metaphor and character is representing a factor in his emotional journey. Jenna Ortega’s character, Amina, is portrayed as a fan who develops a romantic connection with The Weeknd but ultimately represents a part of his subconscious trying to make him face his mistakes.
Because this project is so personal and is more symbolic for his fan base, it can leave other viewers quite skeptical. Skepticism is always expected when a musician attempts acting but each actor in this film delivered tremendously. This movie requires full devoted attention and an open mind for its emblematic message.
