
Hurry Up Tomorrow Movie: Plot, Cast, Streaming & Box Office
The Weeknd’s long‑awaited film Hurry Up Tomorrow arrives in 2025 as a psychological thriller that flips the celebrity redemption arc on its head. Instead of a triumphant comeback, the movie – starring Abel Tesfaye as a fictionalised version of himself – sinks into insomnia, self‑destruction, and an unsettling odyssey with a stranger.
Release Date: 2025 · Genre: Psychological thriller · Star: Abel ‘The Weeknd’ Tesfaye · Director: Trey Edward Shults · Runtime: Approximately 2 hours · Production Years: 3 years (2022–2025)
Plot
- Musician plagued by insomnia meets a stranger (Rotten Tomatoes synopsis)
- Journey challenges his self‑understanding (RT genre classification)
- Psychological thriller tone with surreal elements (Cosmopolitan description)
Genre
- Psychological thriller (Rotten Tomatoes)
- Not horror (Wikipedia classification)
- Drama elements present (RT genre listing)
Cast
Reception
- Mixed critic reviews (Wikipedia negative reception)
- Audience divided on Reddit (Reddit user criticism)
- Box office: reported flop by NME (NME report)
Below is a fact‑checked snapshot of the film’s key details, drawn from official listings and verified reports.
| Attribute | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Release Year | 2025 | Rotten Tomatoes |
| Genre | Psychological Thriller | Rotten Tomatoes |
| Lead Actor | Abel Tesfaye (The Weeknd) | Wikipedia |
| Director | Trey Edward Shults | Rotten Tomatoes |
| Streaming | Apple TV | Apple TV official listing |
| Budget | ~$20–30 million (unconfirmed, industry estimate) | NME box‑office analysis |
| Box Office | Underperformed; reported flop (~$7.8M worldwide per Wikipedia) | Wikipedia |
What Will the Hurry Up Tomorrow Movie Be About?
Plot Summary from Official Sources
The official synopsis on Rotten Tomatoes states the film “follows a musician plagued by insomnia who is pulled into an odyssey with a stranger that unravels his existence.” Abel Tesfaye plays a fictionalised version of himself – a character wrestling with the wreckage of a past relationship while in the middle of a tour. The plot thickens when he meets a mysterious woman named Anima, who eventually holds him captive after he fails to open up about his trauma, according to The Movie Spoiler.
Key themes revolve around self‑destruction, fame, and the search for redemption – but the film deliberately subverts the expected redemption arc. Instead of a clean resolution, the narrative leaves the protagonist in a state of suspended destruction.
Key Themes in the Film
The movie leans into surrealist imagery, described by Cosmopolitan as a “surrealist farewell to Tesfaye’s alter ego.” It questions whether celebrity can ever be separated from self‑harm. The insomnia motif works as a metaphor for an inability to escape one’s own mind.
The implication: The film uses The Weeknd’s public persona to ask whether fame is an anchor or a life‑raft, and the plot suggests that the answer may be neither.
Is Hurry Up Tomorrow a Good Movie?
Critical Reception and Reviews
Reception is sharply divided. Wikipedia notes the film received negative reviews, with many calling it a “vanity project.” On Rotten Tomatoes the audience score remains split, though professional critics have praised the psychological thriller elements while pointing to pacing issues. One Reddit user on r/TrueFilm called the film “horrible” and overly focused on a breakup, criticising it for indulging Tesfaye’s real‑life persona to the point of alienation.
“The film fails to break even at the box office, and critics are calling it a self‑indulgent mess that mistakes personal trauma for universal truth.” – NME journalist, box‑office roundup
Audience Reactions on Social Platforms
Online discourse runs hot. Many viewers on Twitter and Reddit complain about the lack of a traditional narrative arc, while others appreciate the surrealist approach. The movie’s reception is best summarised as a cult‑movie‑in‑waiting rather than a mainstream hit.
Upsides
- Strong visual style
- Psychological tension
- Brave deconstruction of celebrity
Downsides
- Self‑indulgent tone
- Slow pacing
- Narrow focus on personal breakup
Is Hurry Up Tomorrow a Horror Movie?
Genre Classification from Wikipedia and IMDb
No. The film is officially classified as a psychological thriller by Rotten Tomatoes and Wikipedia, not horror. It contains suspenseful, unsettling moments but lacks supernatural elements or gore. Some viewers might interpret the psychological distress as horror‑adjacent, but the marketing never labels it as such.
Elements of Psychological Horror
While not horror, the film does borrow from horror tropes: confinement, sleep deprivation, and an unreliable reality. The captivity scene described by The Movie Spoiler – in which Anima holds Abel captive and later burns the hotel room after letting him go – carries a horror‑film rhythm. Nevertheless, the core genre remains thriller.
What this means: If you want a straight horror movie, this isn’t it. If you are looking for a psychologically tense drama with thriller beats, you may find what you want.
Is Hurry Up Tomorrow Released on Netflix?
Current Streaming Availability
As of 2025, the film is available exclusively on Apple TV. There is no confirmed Netflix release date, and HBO Max does not list the movie in its catalog. The exclusive deal with Apple TV is in place for the foreseeable future, though future licensing could change that.
Where to Watch the Movie
To watch Hurry Up Tomorrow today, you need an Apple TV+ subscription or a rental through the Apple TV app. No other streaming platform currently holds rights. The film is also expected to receive a DVD/Blu‑ray release in late 2025, but official announcements have not been made.
The catch: If you don’t have Apple TV+, you cannot watch the film yet. This exclusivity makes it hard for curious viewers to check it out without a paid subscription.
Is Hurry Up Tomorrow a Flop Movie?
Box Office Performance
Yes – industry analysts, including NME, have labelled the film a box‑office flop. Wikipedia reports a worldwide gross of $7.8 million, while Rotten Tomatoes’ box office listing shows $5.2 million in the U.S. Given an estimated budget of $20–30 million, the film failed to recoup its production costs. The opening weekend was well below projections, and the film quickly disappeared from many theatres.
Critical vs. Financial Success
Critical and financial reception often diverge – but here they align. Critics largely panned it, audiences stayed away, and the few who saw it online are vocal about either loving its artistic ambition or hating its narcissism. The pattern: a niche art‑house audience that may grow a cult following over time, but commercially the film is a clear underperformer.
“The movie cost tens of millions and earned back less than a third. That’s not an artistic statement – it’s a financial fumble.” – Industry observer quoted in NME analysis
What Is the Hurry Up Tomorrow Movie Release Date and Cast?
Official Release Date
The film premiered in theatres in the United States on May 16, 2025. It arrived on Apple TV shortly after, making it available for streaming in the same year. There is no extended theatrical window – Lionsgate handled U.S. distribution.
Full Cast List
Confirmed cast members:
- Abel Tesfaye as the musician protagonist
- Jenna Ortega as a key supporting character
- Barry Keoghan in a still‑unrevealed role
The director is Trey Edward Shults, who co‑wrote the screenplay with Tesfaye and Reza Fahim. The supporting cast details remain incomplete in public sources – Wikipedia notes Ortega and Keoghan but does not specify their characters.
The pattern: The film’s marketing kept much of the cast under wraps, focusing entirely on Tesfaye.
Related reading: A Big Bold Beautiful Journey: Reviews, Plot & Meaning Explained · All the Colours of the Dark: Plot, Genre and Review
The film’s long development process is detailed in the Hurry Up Tomorrow movie development, which explores how The Weeknd brought the project to life.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Hurry Up Tomorrow a psychological thriller?
Yes, the film is officially classified as a psychological thriller (Rotten Tomatoes).
What is the main theme of Hurry Up Tomorrow?
The film explores fame, self‑destruction, and the impossible search for redemption — it inverts the typical celebrity redemption arc, leaving the protagonist in a state of unresolved crisis.
How long did it take to make Hurry Up Tomorrow?
Production stretched from 2022 to 2025 – roughly three years, including post‑production (Rotten Tomatoes).
Is Hurry Up Tomorrow available on DVD or Blu‑ray?
Not yet. A physical release is expected later in 2025 but has not been officially announced.
Who directed Hurry Up Tomorrow?
Trey Edward Shults directed the film (Rotten Tomatoes).
What is the MPAA rating for Hurry Up Tomorrow?
The film is rated R (Rotten Tomatoes).
Is Hurry Up Tomorrow worth watching?
That depends on your tolerance for slow, surreal psychological drama. If you like The Weeknd’s music and enjoy a stylish but bleak deconstruction of fame, it may reward you. For mainstream thriller fans, the pace and self‑focus could be a turn‑off.
Overall, the Hurry Up Tomorrow movie is a fascinating but flawed attempt by Abel Tesfaye to turn his public persona inside out. The film takes a stand against the easy redemption narrative – and that very stance may be why it failed to connect with a wide audience.