Only one week remains until Abel “The Weeknd” Tesfaye hits the big screen with Hurry Up Tomorrow, his new psychological thriller and the companion piece to his much-anticipated sixth album of the same name. Featuring the talents of Wednesday star Jenna Ortega and The Banshees of Inisherin alum Barry Keoghan, the film is an ambitious project that not only ties in with his music career but will mark the end of his pop star moniker after years of success, including four Grammy wins, 20 Billboard Music Awards, and more. It’s billed as a musical and personal story following a fictionalized version of the performer on a journey to what could be his own destruction, and, after an early screening in Phoenix where Tesfaye made a surprise appearance with director Trey Edward Shults, fans appear to be loving it. Before everyone else gets to see it, Collider can exclusively highlight a few reactions that hail the film as “visionary, emotional, and imaginative,” and one of 2025’s must-see features.
Penned by Shults, Tesfaye, and Reza Fahim, Hurry Up Tomorrow picks up with a version of The Weeknd who is nearing a mental breakdown. The world-famous artist is cursed with a severe case of insomnia that disrupts his life and opens him up to visits from an enigmatic woman (Ortega). In his sleepless states, she takes him on an odyssey filled with surreal and haunting imagery, hitting on themes relating to death, fame, and identity, particularly relating to the name he’s famous for. Like the album, it also borrows a lot of inspiration from the moments that led him to his decision to retire The Weeknd for good. The journey will ultimately dive deep into the core of his creative existence and unravel it, promising plenty of thrills and tunes from the album along the way.
Read the First Reactions to The Weeknd’s ‘Hurry Up Tomorrow’

Image via Lionsgate/Hyghly Alleyne

Hitting on the more emotional side of that story, fan @igotfungi on X described how the movie leaves room for audience interpretation while still remixing pivotal events from Tesfaye’s career from his perspective with hindsight and a hefty dose of surrealism. Moreover, for fans who have listened from House of Balloons to Hurry Up Tomorrow, they noted there are plenty of references to the music The Weeknd has been producing since 2011. They wrote:

“Hurry Up Tomorrow Movie described in 3 words: visionary, emotional, and imaginative. Seeing Abel’s perspective on an event that took a toll on him was eye opening. Lots of Easter eggs for us xo. The sound production was INSANE. Definitely made for a theater! This movie leaves so much room for interpretation. The cast did such an amazing job. Seeing Abel’s name at the end during credits warmed my heart what an amazing accomplishment. Get your tickets to see HUT in theaters!! You will not regret it.”

Two more early viewers, @stargirlhoursx2 and @starringabel, simply praised the feature as the “Movie of the century!” and “the movie of the year!” respectively. If that high praise wasn’t enough, user kxodesigns on Instagram penned a heartfelt tribute, saying that watching the film in Phoenix left them “speechless” and confirming that it’s a perfect watch for members of the XO fanbase. Along with her reaction, she posted a few images and videos from the event, including a speech from Tesfaye himself sharing thanks to the fans and the team behind Hurry Up Tomorrow, including director Shults, who brought his expertise from films like his psychological horror It Comes at Night, and composer Daniel Lopatin.
‘Hurry Up Tomorrow’ Is The Weeknd’s “Most Personal Project I’ve Ever Worked On”

Following the early screening in Phoenix, Tesfaye released a letter to fans describing his feelings behind making the film, what he wanted to convey, and how the people who listen to and follow him influenced the direction of the project. “Hurry Up Tomorrow is the most personal project I’ve ever worked on,” the opening paragraph read. “It’s a film and album born out of risk, obsession, and the desire to push beyond the surface — to create something raw, strange, and unforgettable. I hope I’ve done that.” The idea behind the project stems back to a concert performance in Los Angeles in 2022, where he lost his voice on stage, a moment that initially paralyzed him and forced him to confront the psychological cause, but would also inspire his decision to explore those feelings and pursue personal growth. In an interview with Collider’s Steve Weintraub, he described how his biggest time investment in making the film was nailing down the soundtrack with sound designer Johnnie Burn due to how it was shaped around and felt so tied to the scenes playing out on-screen.

“Huge because we were doing a lot of changes for post with the music, with score. I was writing music on set. The music felt like it was another character in the film. We were giving notes to the music, we were trying to adjust it to the scene. So, it wasn’t too much of a nightmare, but I think the music was probably the longest process out of everything, scoring a picture.”

Hurry Up Tomorrow hits theaters on May 16. Read the first reactions above and visit the official website here for more details.

Hurry Up Tomorrow

Release Date

May 16, 2025

Runtime

116 minutes

Director

Trey Edward Shults

Writers

Reza Fahim, Trey Edward Shults, The Weeknd

Producers

Kevin Turen, Harrison Huffman, Jenna Ortega, The Weeknd, Michael Rapino, Harrison Kreiss, Ryan Kroft