Alternative R&B singer, songwriter and aspiring actor Abel “The Weeknd” Tesfaye is closing the chapter of his career as The Weeknd with the mixed media project “Hurry Up Tomorrow,” a film and album of the same name. “Hurry Up Tomorrow,” the album, was released earlier this year to widespread acclaim. The film, released on May 14, follows an insomniac musician driven on an existential journey by a mysterious stranger, with Trey Edward Shults directing and co-writing with The Weeknd. What can fans expect to see on the big screen compared to the music many know Tesfaye for?
“Hurry Up Tomorrow” is not Tesfaye’s first time acting as a character. He featured in 2019’s “Uncut Gems,” where he played a younger, punkier version of himself performing in a nightclub. The performance, followed by a fight scene, was too short of a segment to accurately portray his potential, but co-director Joshua Safdie described his ambition in a Variety interview: “Real cinephile. … He has a desire for the silver screen—he really, really, really cherishes that.” Abel himself has made his appreciation for the movies clear, with his 2015 hit “The Hills” referencing “The Hills Have Eyes,” a film from 1977. He has also purported The Weeknd to be an exaggerated, separate person from himself, presenting it as a Dr Jekyll and Mr. Hyde situation, a callback to the 1931 film, to GQ. The Weeknd is his work persona, his outlet for dark art and fantasies.
His most recent on-screen performance was in HBO’s “The Idol,” which was hit with scathing reviews and cancelled after five episodes. Tesfaye’s character is that of a sleazy nightclub owner with manipulative and borderline psychotic tendencies. Fans and critics alike were disappointed in his performance, and the show as a whole. The poor transition from short scenes—like in music videos and his “Uncut Gems” cameo—to long-form media could be disastrous for Tesfaye’s acting career if his feature film debut follows in “The Idol’s” footsteps. However, fans and cinephiles alike still have some hope to hold on to.
Since directors guide a huge part of the filmmaking process, actors only have so much room for expression. Sam Levinson, who directed “Euphoria” before “The Idol,” is surrounded by controversy, and has received criticism for his unfocused and slow writing and plot development, as well as relying on what some call shock factor—such as frequent nudity, drug use and sex scenes. “Hurry Up Tomorrow” is directed by Trey Edward Shultz. While also being a very stylized director, Schultz is not known for the same overindulgent and frankly uncomfortable sexual situations and suggestions viewers were critical of. Schultz’s past films have also garnered praise for their emotional potency, exactly what Tesfaye is aiming for to close out The Weeknd’s character, with there being lots of poignant and heartfelt commentary on his life, career and place in the music industry on his recent album release. Combined with the fact that movie pacing is vastly different from television, they have the chance to create just the right environment for The Weeknd to really come to life and flourish as an actor, or at least be a fun and interesting experience.