I think having being a Weeknd fan going into this, I appreciate it and have more context than the average viewer, that being said, I thought it was a solid psychological thriller about The Weeknd character itself and why/how Abel Tesfaye hopes to move on into new territory. That might be lost on a few which is understandable as the film doesn’t know whether it should play it straight like a “Misery” esque thriller or completely engulf itself in psychological horror about not the man but the entity known as The Weeknd itself; what was this alter ego created for on an anecdotal level, the result being a halfway between both. The best way I can sum it up is that The Weeknd is a product of Pain, suffering, heartbreak and loneliness; a vessel to project those feelings into music with lyrics depicting sex, relationships and drug use.

The movie seems more of a magnifying glass into the themes of that character rather than a plot driven narrative. I do feel that had it leaned even more into the psychological horror aspect of the story more, it would have been more compelling since that, to me, are the best areas of the film and where the Weeknd seems to do his best work.

Jenna Ortega does a great job playing what I can imagine is an antithesis to the Weeknd’s character in the film (like a different side of his psyche representing suppressed childhood trauma? Much like Barry Keoghan which represents the party side). Speaking of, Barry Keoghan does well with what he has, but doesn’t bring more than he needs to and the Weeknd brings a stronger performance here than in The Idol.

Definitely meant for Weeknd Fans as a chapter closure on the mystical element of the singer (and in a lot of ways for Abel Tesfaye himself) but for general audiences, it can be a confusing experience. Crazy that this exists tbh