Hurry Up Tomorrow 2025: A Dazzling Dive into Darkness or Just Another Vanity Project?

Trey Edward Shults steps from the shadows of edgy thrillers into something significantly more personal with Hurry Up Tomorrow 2025 Flixtor. Released May 16, 2025, this psychological thriller stars Grammy-winner The Weeknd, Abel Tesfaye, alongside Jenna Ortega and Barry Keoghan. A companion piece to The Weeknd’s sixth studio album of the same name, the film follows a musician ensnared by insomnia and longing, whose life begins to unravel one tragic night.

From its opening concert scenes—shot on gorgeous 35 mm, 16 mm, and Super 8 film—the movie wastes no time dropping viewers into Abel’s disoriented statede.wikipedia.org
What begins as a standard pop‑star performance rapidly devolves as Abel’s voice cracks mid‑song—a depiction of the real incident from the 2022 SoFi Stadium concert, where psychological stress robbed him of his voice.pluggedin.com+7en.wikipedia.org+7apnews.com+7

With stunning cinematography from Chayse Irvin, the visuals often border on hypnotic—and dizzying. Constant spinning‑camera passages inside cars, extreme close‑ups of sweat and distressed eyes, and abrupt aspect‑ratio shifts underscore Abel’s fraying psyche en.wikipedia.org+2rogerebert.com+2de.wikipedia.org+2The style is highly reminiscent of arthouse cinematography, but according to many critics, it becomes excessive—“a vanity project” that neglects narrative cohesion thedailybeast.com

The story arc remains loosely structured. Abel, engulfed by post‑tour depression and a brutal breakup hinted at through angry voicemails, travels onto a literal and emotional journey when he meets Anima (Jenna Ortega), a mysterious fan who sneaks backstage after setting her house aflame movieinsider.com+15en.wikipedia.org+15simonleasher.com+15Their encounter transforms into an emotionally charged and at times volatile night, climaxing in scenes that echo psychological horror—drawing comparisons to Misery or The Shining .

Ortega’s performance as Anima has been praised even by critics who fault the film’s structure. She injects volatile energy into the second half: “a jolt of energy in a film that sorely needs it”. In contrast, reactions to Tesfaye’s acting have been mixed, with some pointing to emotional flatness and a lack of on‑screen chemistry .

Supporting players like Barry Keoghan contribute color, playing Lee—Abel’s friend‑manager who pushes him to continue performing despite his vocal injury and mental exhaustion. However, many argue that their characters remain more archetype than fully fleshed‑out individuals, symbolic extensions of Abel’s internal struggle—from fame’s pressure to creative isolation .

The soundtrack, co‑composed by Tesfaye and Daniel Lopatin (aka Oneohtrix Point Never), emerges as the film’s redeeming victory. Critics note its rich, atmospheric quality—a dark electronic pulse that creates a nightclub‑dream mood and cuts through the often incoherent storytelling fr.wikipedia.org+4apnews.com+4pitchfork.com+4. In many ways, the music becomes the film’s soul, even if other elements feel hollow.

Critical consensus has skewed strongly negative. AP News described it as “a surrealist vanity project… muddled” with “limited emotional engagement”. Rotten Tomatoes sees virtually no redemption, with some giving it a 0 % critic score. Entertainment Weekly lambasted the lifeless performances and “astonishingly boring” pacing. Meanwhile, Roger Ebert pointed to the heavy-handed symbolism and exhaustive visuals, noting Ortega’s last-minute surge couldn’t save the rest . Positive notes are rare, though some audience members appreciate the visual ambition and thematic intent as a cult‑like art‑film companion piece to the album .

On the box office front, the film bombed—grossing around $6.3 million worldwide on a $15 million budget. It premiered theatrically in mid‑May and began streaming digitally in early June through platforms like Prime Video, Apple TV, Fandango, and YouTube.

So, what’s the takeaway? Hurry Up Tomorrow is a bold but flawed experiment. It is a film that prioritizes atmosphere and thematic mood over grounded story or character depth. For devoted Weeknd fans, it might offer a visceral, extended music video experience—an audiovisual trip tied to the album. But outside that bubble, it risks feeling self‑indulgent: a beautifully shot echo chamber of introspection and celebrity anxieties.

Whether it becomes a cult art‑house piece or a cautionary tale about star ego in cinema, it undeniably leaves you feeling hollow. But if you’re drawn to haunting soundscapes, surreal visuals, and an unfiltered glimpse into a pop star’s psyche, Hurry Up Tomorrow delivers—just don’t expect traditional storytelling. And hey, Jenna Ortega’s wild energy in the third act? That might just be the spark to keep the night awake.

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