Clips of The Weeknd's performance in Hurry Up Tomorrow are being widely shared on social media, prompting viewers to remark on the quality of acting on display. The movie itself has alternately been described as a "fever dream" and a "vanity project." Directed by Trey Edward Shults, the musical thriller is a companion piece to The Weeknd's sixth studio album of the same name; both projects coincide with his attempts to leave behind his public persona and adopt his given name, Abel Tesfaye. He did something similar not too long ago, with the doomed HBO series The Idol. The show opened to major controversy and was panned upon release. Remarkably, Hurry Up Tomorrow is earning poorer reviews.

It debuted with a 0% rating on the aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes; the rating has since increased to 16%, which is lower than the 19% that The Idol is currently sitting on. The movie reunites...