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‘Hurry Up Tomorrow’ Review: The Weeknd’s Cinematic Apology for a Flubbed Concert Performance Should Issue Its Own
Pop star The Weeknd enlists director Trey Edward Shults for a fictionalized recreation of the circumstances around a disastrous tour appearance.
Inspired by a 2022 incident in which world-renowned singer-songwriter Abel Tesfaye abruptly canceled one of his concerts during the very first song, the man known as the Weeknd plays an indeterminately veiled version of himself as he navigates the physical, professional and emotional fallout of one of the biggest (or at least highest-profile) flops of his career. The break-up voicemail that sets its events in motion only hints at the cruelty the Weeknd’s character is capable of in his private relationships, but his subsequent behavior, enabled by inconceivable wealth and a tight circle of sycophantic advisers, only underscores the kid gloves with which he’s handled, but never needs to wear himself. Meanwhile playing Lee’s counterpart, Ortega shoulders the emotional heavy lifting — holding the Weeknd’s feet to the fire while carrying trauma for which his music provides perfect accompaniment — but the film’s structure strands her in a role that resembles an aggressive, more therapeutic version of Kathy Bates in “Misery.”
Or read this on Variety