The Rotten Tomatoes score for Hurry Up Tomorrow is incredibly low, with most critics decrying the Jenna Ortega and The Weeknd thriller as one of the worst films of the year. The film stars The Weeknd as himself, portrayed here as a heartbroken artist who is having trouble keeping up with his commitments as a famous musician. After struggling at a concert, an encounter between the Weeknd and his enticing but enigmatic fan Anima leads to a night in Santa Monica where The Weeknd is forced to open up — especially after Anima holds him against his will and threatens his life.

The psychological thriller, released as a companion piece to his recent album of the same name, has been called out by critics as an egotistical exercise for The Weeknd and a dull time at the movies. Even the film’s defenders have acknowledged some complaints about the film’s execution. Only 14% of critics at the time of writing have come out as fans of the film, even as the Rotten Tomatoes Popcornmeter suggests the singer’s fans remain in his corner. Here are some of the common criticisms of Hurry Up Tomorrow and how they contributed to the film’s bad Rotten Tomatoes score.

6

Hurry Up Tomorrow’s Meandering Script Doesn’t Do It Any Favors

Hurry Up Tomorrow Wastes A Lot Of Time With A Basic Story

Hurry Up Tomorrow’s self-serious script and bare-bones story didn’t do it any favors with critics, and was a major contributor to the movie’s poor Rotten Tomatoes score. The plot of Hurry Up Tomorrow focuses on a fictionalized version of Abel Tsfaye aka the Weeknd as he struggles with heartbreak and encounters a young woman whose obsession with him shifts from empathetic to horrifying. There’s honestly not a lot to the actual story beyond that basic plot, which feels like it cribs from other films like Misery rather than finding its own sense of idenтιтy.

The Misery connection was a common complaint among critics like Carla Hay from Culture Mix and Madison Bloom from Pitchfork, noting that the film takes surface-level cues from that story without actually engaging the characters on a personal level. That lack of depth drags down the film as a whole, even as it tries to say something about Tesfaye’s experience with celebrity and loneliness. A common criticism voiced by critics, the lack of a compelling story and character depth is the core problem with Hurry Up Tomorrow — but far from the only one.

5

Hurry Up Tomorrow Lacks The Self-Awareness Necessary For A Good Showcase

This Is The Weeknd That Wants To Be Seen, Instead Of One That Feels Authentic

Critics of Hurry Up Tomorrow largely complained about the film’s self-serious tone and overly dramatic performances, claiming the film lacked any real sense of self-awareness. Many critics specifically complained about the film being an egotistical showcase for Tsfaye, with the film portraying him as a misunderstood and under-pressure artist. Any film where a star is the focus of the story risks painting them in an egotistical light, as the delivery and performance need a bit of humor and a lot of self-awareness to remain grounded and charming.

Tsfaye has successfully portrayed himself with those qualities in films like Uncut Gems, but the version of him in Hurry Up Tomorrow has been a real sticking point for critics. Frank Scheck for The Hollywood Reporter and The Daily Beast’s Nick Schager both complained about this aspect of the film, noting that the film’s portrayal of Tsfaye (who also co-wrote the film with Trey Edward Shults and Reza Fahim) feels wooden and like a caricature of the “troubled artist.” Some critics specifically cited the more authentic approach to that archetype from Better Man, despite being rendered as a CGI monkey.

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Critics Found Hurry Up Tomorrow Pretentious

Hurry Up Tomorrow Clearly Thinks It Is Very Deep

Hurry Up Tomorrow is intended as a culmination of “The Weeknd” as a persona for Abel Tsfaye, playing on the themes he explored in previous albums. This introspection might work on the musical album ᴀssociated with the film, but it’s ultimately a lackluster thematic core for a movie. Many critics seemed unimpressed with the film’s exploration of fame and the challenges it presents, especially considering how common that theme is in films about musicians.

There aren’t any laughs or any real sense of humanity in Hurry Up Tomorrow, despite the strong emotional core of the music ᴀssociated with the album of the same name. Those elements could have given Tsfaye a bit more charm and appeal to critics and increased the audience’s empathy with the singer’s challenges, as seen in other recent musician-led films like A Star is Born or Rocketman. Instead, Hurry Up Tomorrow is nothing but overdramatic swings that try to celebrate the power of The Weeknd’s music when he’s honest about his feelings.

3

Hurry Up Tomorrow Just Isn’t All That Entertaining

Hurry Up Tomorrow Commits The Worst Sin A Movie Can

The worst thing a film can be is boring. Movies that are odd or poorly made or even offensive on some level can earn acceptance from an audience that at least finds all the chaos entertaining. This is one of the key flaws of Hurry Up Tomorrow, and a big reason most critics seem to have turned against the film. While a hang-out comedy or a character-focused drama can’t be considered dull and also be called a success, that criticism is especially damning for a film that bills itself as an intense thriller.

Jordan Hoffman of Entertainment Weekly called the film “astonishingly boring,” a complaint that is echoed by other critics as well. Plenty of critics have expressed some appreciation for the visual components of Hurry Up Tomorrow, and the thriller being compelling might have been enough to earn the film some more defenders. However, the consensus among critics is that Hurry Up Tomorrow just isn’t all that entertaining. As a result, the detached and dull Hurry Up Tomorrow simply couldn’t keep critics engaged, a cardinal sin of entertainment.

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Even The Defenders Think Hurry Up Tomorrow Is Flawed

Champions Of Hurry Up Tomorrow Admit The Film Could Be Better

Hurry Up Tomorrow does have some defenders among critics, who cite the film’s visual ambitions, the more introspective elements, and Jenna Ortega’s performance as strengths of the project. However, even opinions among these defenders of the film are divided. While a few, like Aisle Seat’s Mike McGranaghan believe the film is terrific and will eventually be reappraised by critics in a much more supportive light, G. Allen Johnson of the San Francisco Chronicle acknowledged the flaws in the film’s presentation and execution.

There simply isn’t a strong enough groundswell of support for the film for it to pick up steam critically, with only a handful of critics openly celebrating the film instead of offering a mixed view on the project. This is another reason the film hasn’t been able to generate many good reviews on Rotten Tomatoes, as even the mixed reviews tend to lean more towards negative declarations rather than positive ones. As a result, the critical momentum has pushed Hurry Up Tomorrow even further down critically.

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Hurry Up Tomorrow Is A Fine Music Video But A Bad Movie

There’s Good Visuals In Hurry Up Tomorrow But Not Enough To Justify A Feature-Length Movie

Hurry Up Tomorrow is expressly connected to the album of the same name, which was released in January of 2025. The album was better received than the film, debuting at number one on the Billboard 200 and earning a solid 73/100 from Metacritic. The critical consensus on the film version of Hurry Up Tomorrow is that it is best when it leans into the surreal visuals set up by Trey Edward Shults and the infectious music by The Weeknd. Some forgiving critics have declared that the film would make for a good music video.

However, it seems it was a mistake to extend the concept to feature-length. Andrew Lawrence with The Guardian enjoyed many elements of the film, including the chemistry between Ortega and Tsfaye and the latter’s acting talent as a whole. However, Lawrence also bemoaned the film’s meandering approach, which takes a potentially great music video and converts it into an overbearing and ultimately boring movie. Hurry Up Tomorrow was an ambitious swing from The Weeknd that seems to have found some connection with audiences, but failed to impress critics who were hoping for more than just an extended music video.

Source: Culture Mix, Pitchfork, The Hollywood Reporter, The Daily Beast, Entertainment Weekly, Aisle Seat, San Francisco Chronicle, The Guardian