Director Trey Edward Shults usually delivers interesting films, so my hopes were reasonably high for Hurry up Tomorrow despite it being billed as “companion” piece to Abel ‘The Weeknd’ Tesfaye’s album of the same name!
He plays a fictionalised version of himself, a musician on the verge of a mental breakdown, after breaking up with his girlfriend, who meets a mysterious stranger, Anima, played by Jenna Ortega. There is very little to recommend in this vapid affair, unless you are a big fan of the bland and insipid pop the star peddles. The first hour is virtually plotless and is very boring, where we are meant to sympathise with The Weeknd and his woes, but he is so very unlikable.
It picks up a little, briefly veering into what I thought would be Misery territory when he and Anima check into a hotel. But once Anima has incapacitated him and tied him to the bed, she starts playing his own banal songs to him whilst declaring what a genius songwriter he is!
And yes, along with Shults and Reza Fahim, Tesfaye is one of the writers of this car crash. Shults directs fussily, with too many extreme close ups, blurred images and tricksy shots that are all paired with a deafening soundtrack. It feels more like an effort from someone just out of film school rather than a seasoned pro.
I am sure that Tesfaye has his talents but they elude me as he is also a very limited actor. Ortega is better but her character motivation remains very unclear and Barry Keoghan does his best as The Weeknd’s manipulative manager.
I have seen a couple of worse films this year, but I would be surprised if there is anything else this bad given a major release. This a real slog of a film that is pretentious and shallow.
Rating: 2 out of 10