The Weeknd As Sleepless Musician In Film(Photo Credit –Facebook)
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The Weeknd, stepping into the film under his real name, Abel Tesfaye, finds himself in rough waters with Hurry Up Tomorrow. The film failed to spark much interest at the box office despite the promise of a surreal journey centered on a sleepless musician tangled in a mind-bending spiral with a mysterious stranger.
Its debut weekend brought in a disappointing $3.3 million (per Box Office Mojo) from over 2,000 theaters, landing it somewhere beneath more anticipated titles like The Accountant 2, A Minecraft Movie, and Ryan Coogler’s Sinners.
The Weeknd’s Box Office Milestone Amid Disappointment
The lackluster performance hasn’t stopped Tesfaye from hitting a career milestone, though. It is all thanks in large part to his brief appearance in Uncut Gems; the modest earnings from Hurry Up Tomorrow have nudged him past the $50 million mark in combined domestic and global box office revenue (per Collider).
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It’s a bittersweet win, as this new release continues the trend of underwhelming reception that started with HBO’s The Idol, a project that stumbled its way to cancellation not long after airing.
Reviews haven’t been much kinder. The film holds a grim 15% from critics on Rotten Tomatoes, though audiences have been more generous, with a 68% rating breathing some life into its reputation.
Michael O’Sullivan of The Washington Post reviewed the movie, “Even some die-hard fans may find themselves wishing for a literal interpretation of the title, because ‘Hurry Up Tomorrow’ can’t end soon enough.”
Robert Abele of The LA Times echoed, “It won’t slam the door on Tesfaye’s movie ambitions, but as a bid to conquer the big screen, it’s an off-putting, see-what-sticks wallow that treats the power of cinema like a midconcert costume change.”
The cast, packed with promise, ends up largely sidelined. Riley Keough and Barry Keoghan barely get space to shine, which didn’t help matters, and the constant shadow of Tesfaye’s musical persona reportedly breaks any immersion the story tries to build.
Still, there were glimpses of light with Jenna Ortega, in particular, earning praise for delivering a performance full of intensity and conviction. Even Tesfaye managed to show moments of genuine emotion, though critics say the writing never gave him enough to break through fully.
Despite the poor turnout, the film continues its run in theaters.
