Hurry Up Tomorrow iso notes; Mills Folly animation on Wednesday
Mills Folly Microcinema will screen indie animation curated by filmmaker Jamie Griffiths, Wednesday, May 21 at 7:00pm.
Click here for Now Showing in Madison, week of May 19, 2025
As I mentioned last week, “iso reactions” are not really a thing, and my use of “iso” is influenced by listening to too much defense analysis during the NBA playoffs. But I received some very positive feedback to the idea of “iso reviews,” or a running list of comments about a film without the format of a full review (plot summary, etc.). So I’ll continue to experiment with the format with some iso notes about Hurry Up Tomorrow, which opened last week to pretty brutal reviews.
While Hurry Up Tomorrow is not a great film, it is certainly better than its current 16% Rotten Tomatoes score suggests. Broadly speaking, much of the negative criticism is based on what the film isn’t, instead of what it is. A good overview of this trend can be seen in the Screen Rant article with the clickbait title, “6 Reasons Why The Rotten Tomatoes Score For Jenna Ortega & The Weeknd's New Thriller Is So Low.” Almost all of the critics I’ve read so far have viewed the film in the context of expectations for a Weeknd vehicle, whatever that would be in their minds. Very few critics (that I’ve looked at so far) have viewed the film in relation to other work by director Trey Edward Shults (Krisha, 2015; It Comes at Night, 2017, Waves, 2019). Krisha won the IFC Spirit Awards “John Cassavetes Award,” and while I would not equate the best of Cassavetes with Shults’s efforts with Hurry Up Tomorrow, I’m pretty confident that many of these same critics would level the same or similar “boring” or “has no plot” charges against Cassavettes films like Faces (1968), Minnie and Moskowitz (1971) or Opening Night (1977). The Screen Rant article suggests that defenders of the film “cite the film's visual ambitions,” and I guess perhaps I’m guilty as charged there. One could argue that the visual design, rather than the narrative, is the more salient organizing principle for about two-thirds of the film. I think there’s a way to watch Hurry Up Tomorrow and at least try to play its game rather than try to fit it into something that it is not.
Viewing Hurry Up Tomorrow in the context of Shults’s other work does not always benefit the film, however. I don’t think it is nearly as strong as It Comes at Night, the one of his features I’ve seen. I saw Hurry Up Tomorrow with filmmaker Erik Gunneson (Milk Punch), and he shared some amusing memories of seeing Waves at Telluride. After the film was over, he turned to a colleague and moved his hands back and forth at different distances from each other, mimicking the seemingly arbitrary shifts in aspect ratio throughout the film. While these aspect ratio shifts do not happen as frequently in Hurry Up Tomorrow, the first time it did happen I jokingly turned to Erik and made the same hand gestures. Sometimes Shults is guilty of the sin of auteurist excess, especially with 360-degree pans within moving cars.
The common critical chorus has been that Abel “The Weeknd” Tesfaye cannot act, or is a poor actor. Again, I have to disagree, or at least I would make the distinction between screen performance and acting, and suggest that Tesfaye has a very interesting screen presence that can be used for different purposes. Most obviously, on stage he is a very charismatic performer. In terms of narrative character acting, instead of saying “he can’t act,” I would suggest that he can act, but has a relatively narrow range. There are many charismatic stars who also have a narrow acting range, Keanu Reeves being one whom I admire. Tesfaye’s choices (and his direction from Shults) can lead to some interesting conversations about what acting is, styles of acting, and the scale between expressionism and realism. The example of Tesfaye’s acting that Erik and I ended up discussing was his character’s reaction to Anima’s (Jenna Ortega) emotional phone call with her mother. I actually don’t want to describe it to you to pre-determine your response. I can almost guarantee that you will have a memorable response to it if you decide to see the film. What I can say is that the acting choices are salient rather than transparent, which breaks the conventional codes of realism. Is this bad acting? Well, to my mind calling it bad acting is not a particularly interesting analysis. In fact, as an analysis, simply calling it bad is possibly more boring than what the same critics believe the film to be. I think it is far more interesting to contemplate the effect(s) of different choices as the performance progresses within that scene and throughout the film.
There is a performance in one scene that I do not hesitate to call great, because it bursts through the relatively static action in much of the rest of the film. And, without spoiling it with too much detail, it is when Anima (Jenna Ortega) begins to lip-sync and dance to The Weeknd songs as he helplessly reacts to her performance. I think this scene is great both within the context of the film and the context of Ortega’s performances in other films. One reason I’ve not been a great fan of hers so far has been that she always seems to have her hands tied by the restrained, somber (dare I say it, goth girl) traits of her characters. Some people consider Ortega’s prom dance as Wednesday Addams in Wednesday as a key moment in her breakthrough to wider stardom. But I find that scene very boring, both in terms of the dance and its filming and needlessly fractured editing. Her lip sync and dance in Hurry Up Tomorrow is vibrant and full of life, the kind of vibrance that the rest of the film needs. While some critics have knocked this plot point as a ripoff of Misery, again I think those critics are playing the wrong game by making uninteresting comparisons. At this moment Anima is kooky like a Gena Rowlands character might be in a Cassavetes film. Narratively speaking, a better parallel would be Sandra Bernhardt taping up Jerry Lewis in Scorsese’s King of Comedy. It’s the kind of vibrant moment when you’re really not sure what is going to happen. Returning to Ortega’s lip synching and dancing in Hurry Up Tomorrow, you’re never quite sure where Ortega is going to end up in the space or in the frame as she alternates between dancing in the depth of the room in long shot to approaching The Weeknd (and the camera) in delicately lit closeups. Unfortunately Shults makes a similar mistake as Burton in Wednesday by breaking up the take with too many cutaways to The Weeknd’s reactions. Not only does this take away us from the kinetic energy of Ortega’s (far better and interesting) performance, it also is often visually unbalanced between medium-long shots of Ortega cut with extreme closeups of Tesfaye. I could have watched a much longer version of this scene, regardless of whether general critics find value in it or not.
A basic contradiction within the film, that it can’t entirely overcome, is the juxtaposition between two titles in the opening credits. The words “A Trey Edward Shults Film” are immediately preceded by “Live Nation Productions.” I think that this is the source of the venomous response from so many critics. And I have to admit that I cringed when the words “Live Nation” appeared on the screen. They have had far too much of a negative impact on concert going in Madison and across the country not to have a negative impact on anyone’s response to the film.
Mills Folly Microcinema presents independent animation curated by filmmaker Jamie Griffiths
Mills Folly Microcinema presents Twinning: "Gemini" and animated inspirations, curated by Jamie Griffiths, a program of surrealist and experimental animated shorts on Wednesday, May 21, 2025, at 7:00pm. Griffiths will participate in a video call Q&A after the screening.
This program highlights Los Angeles-based filmmaker Jamie Griffiths' most recent hand-drawn animation, Gemini (2024), as well as experimental work by colleagues and other luminaries that give a general sense of the context in which Gemini was made.
Her work is a gentle combination of nuanced, well observed character work and ornate design and abstraction. And even the character work leans heavily on the stretch-and-squash techniques unique to animation (especially the cats in Gemini).
A highlight from other filmmakers in the program will be ...Ja Teeb Trikke [...And Plays Tricks] (1979) by Estonian animator Priit Pärn. I had a chance to screen some of his films when I taught animation history classes, and I’m looking forward to catching up with some of his work again.
I hope to see you there! Special thanks to Grant Phipps for coordinating this screening.
Now Playing In Madison: May 19 to May 26, 2025
Mills Folly Microcinema
Mills Folly Microcinema presents Twinning: "Gemini" and animated inspirations, curated by Jamie Griffiths, on Wednesday, May 21, 2025, at 7:00pm, Arts + Literature Laboratory, 111 S. Livingston Street, Suite 100.
Bartell Theatre
No Other Land | Yuval Abraham, Basel Adra, Hamdan Ballal | 2024 | 92 minutes
The 2025 Academy Award winning film for Best Documentary will screen for free at the Bartell Theatre on Sunday, May 25 at 5:00pm and 7:00pm. The 5:00pm screening appears to be sold out. You must have a free ticket to secure a seat, and tickets can be secured at the Bartell website.
UW-Cinematheque
UW-Cinematheque will announce their summer 2025 lineup on Friday, June 23. Screenings will be held Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays from Friday, June 25 through Friday, August 1.
Next Wave Studios
Immersive Worlds: Interactive Art Show, 4713 Helgesen Drive, Saturday, May 24, doors open 6:00pm.
Visuals by (Instagram handles) @velo.mane, @barnplotter, @reactiveshaders, @steves_makerspace, @gitgudmadtown, @herlitzka.art and others. Advance $8, Day of show $12. Tickets at Next Wave Studios.
AMC Theatres, Flix Brewhouse, Marcus Theatres
Check the venue’s website to confirm dates and showtimes, especially after Wednesday for weekend openings and closings. I have not seen the films unless stated otherwise, and my brief notes under film titles are not reviews of the films themselves.
AMC: AMC Fitchburg 18 Theatre Flix: Flix Brewhouse Theatre Palace: Marcus Palace Cinema Point: Marcus Point Cinema
As you’ll see below, the day to make a tough choice for repertory films (or a fan event) will be Wednesday, May 14.
ACCOUNTANT 2, THE (2025) at AMC, Flix, Point, Palace.
AMC SCREAM UNSEEN: MAY 19 at AMC.
I haven’t seen these screenings announce the genre before. I think it’s a good idea. Personally, I’d probably skip horror films, but I’d be more likely to go if I knew in broad terms what I might expect. (I’ve also enjoyed just going without knowing.) Let’s see if this continues at AMC, and if Marcus follows suit. (Marcus also has their Mystery Movie on May 19, see below.)
CLOWN IN A CORNFIELD (2025) at AMC, Flix, Point, Palace.
DEMON SLAYER: MUGEN TRAIN 4K at Point.
FIGHT OR FLIGHT (2025) at AMC, Flix, Point, Palace.
FINAL DESTINATION BLOODLINES (2025) at AMC, Flix, Point, Palace.
FRIENDSHIP (2025) at AMC, Point.
The opening night film at the 2025 Wisconsin Film Festival returns for a theatrical run at AMC and Marcus Point.
HURRY UP TOMORROW (2025) at AMC, Flix, Point, Palace.
See “iso notes” above.
KIKI'S DELIVERY SERVICE - STUDIO GHIBLI FEST 2025 at AMC, Point, Palace.
LAST RODEO, THE (2025) at AMC, Point, Palace.
Latest drama from Jon Avnet (Risky Business, Three Christs) co-written by and starring Neil McDonough (Band of Brothers, Yellowstone, Tulsa King)
LILO & STITCH (2025) at AMC, Flix, Point, Palace.
Also a SURF SATURDAY EVENT at Point, Palace.
MAD MAX: FURY ROAD - 10TH ANNIVERSARY at Point, Palace.
MARCUS MYSTERY MOVIE (5/19) at Point, Palace.
See my note above about AMC identifying the genre for its Scream Unseen, also on May 19.
METROPOLITAN OPERA: SALOME, THE at Point.
MINECRAFT MOVIE, A (2025) at AMC, Flix, Point, Palace.
MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE - THE FINAL RECKONING (2025) at AMC, Flix, Point, Palace.
I don’t think I can forgive the filmmakers for their treatment of Rebecca Ferguson’s character in the last M:I, so this one better be good. There is also an IMAX OPENING DAY FAN EVENT (2025) at AMC on May 22.
ROARING TWENTIES, THE (1939) at AMC
Scroll down to the comments to read my exchange with scholar and gentleman Jake Smith about this screening that is posted at AMC for Thursday, May 22, 1:45pm.
RUSE, THE (2025) at AMC.
Suspense thriller centered around an in-home caregiver for elderly patient played by Veronica Cartwright (Alien, Witches of Eastwick)
SAVING PRIVATE RYAN at Flix.
Flix Picks series
#SINGLE (2025) at AMC.
Second week for Indian Telugu-language comedy.
SINNERS (2025) at AMC, Flix, Point, Palace.
SHADOW FORCE (2025) at AMC, Flix, Point, Palace.
THINGS LIKE THIS (2025) at AMC, Point.
LGBTQ rom-com written and directed by, and starring Max Talisman, whom Wikipedia tells me is known for a guest appearance in Orange is the New Black, and two different roles in The Blacklist.
THUNDERBOLTS (2025)* at AMC, Flix, Point, Palace.
TOP GUN (1986) at Flix.
UNKO SWEATER - WOOLEN SWEATER, THE at Point.
Drama set in the Eastern hills of Panchthar, Nepal.
UNTIL DAWN (2025) at AMC, Palace.
WARFARE (2025) at AMC.
WIZ, THE (1978) at Point, Palace, and Flix.
For those who need an Oz fix before the next part of Wicked is released. I never figured out why they hired Sidney Lumet to direct this thing.
YAMADONGA (4K RE-RELEASE) at Point.
Indian Telugu-language action comedy film, originally released in 2007.
Looking Ahead
Chazen Museum of Art
Sheetla | Anamika Singh | 2025 | 24 minutes
In conjunction with "Corpus, an exhibition by Anamika Singh", come view Singh’s related film Sheetla (24 minutes, 2025) in the Chazen Auditorium on Wednesday, May 28 at 5:30pm. The film follows the Hindi language daily journal Jan Morcha and its role in reporting the highly contested desecration of the Babri Masjid in Ayodhya, Faizabad in 1992. Singh titled the film in honor of her grand uncle, Sheetla Singh, a prominent editor, journalist and union leader in north India.
Wisconsin Union Directorate Film
WUD Film has announced their Lakeside Cinema lineup on the Memorial Union Terrace, starting with But I’m a Cheerleader (1999) on Monday, June 2, 9:00pm.
Any idea why AMC is running The Roaring Twenties on Thursday the 22nd at 1:45?