We have been patiently waiting for the release of My Policeman ever since it was announced that One Direction singer Harry Styles would be playing a lead role. Now, reviews are piling in, and it seems as though there is a big difference in opinion between professional critics and the general public. So, what are reviews about My Policeman saying and will it sway your decision to watch it?
What Is My Policeman About?
Based on a 2012 book of the same name, My Policeman follows Tom Burgess, a gay policeman married to teacher Marion Taylor. Set in the 1950’s, we see Burgess begin a relationship with a museum curator, Patrick Hazelwood.
As their relationship continues, the secret between them is threatened to come to light.
Amazon Prime exclusively released the film on 21 October.
Singer-turned-actor Harry Styles plays Burgess in My Policeman. He made his film debut in the Academy Award winning film Dunkirk. Styles has since appeared in the Marvel film Eternals and Don’t Worry Darling.
Alongside Styles is Emmy nominated actress Emma Corrin who recently portrayed Princess Diana in the fourth series of The Crown.
David Dawson, best known for his as King Alfred in The Last Kingdom, plays Hazelwood.
See also: Harry Styles College Course Set To Launch
What Are Critics Saying?
Peter Bradshaw for The Guardian awards the film three stars, labelling it “interestingly fragile”.
Whilst Bradshaw praises the film for depicting the struggles of having to hide your sexuality in this time period, he also notes that “the modern-day parts of the film are not fully realised”.
Katie Walsh, writing for The Wrap, writes that My Policeman “can’t balance time periods”.
There is a 40-year span of time which shows Burgess and Hazelwood over the decades. While Walsh notes that this does “signify the ways in which the decades of enduring brutal homophobia have hardened Tom”, she also writes that “the rift feels so vast that at times it’s even hard to square that they are playing the same character.”
On Decider‘s “Stream It Or Skip It”, John Serba argues that My Policeman “doesn’t knock you over and stomp on your heart like a good melodrama should”. He adds that “the characters are thinly written” and predicts that “empathetic viewers will feel involvement only on a base level”.
What Do People Think About Harry Style’s New Movie?
Overall, professional critics gave the film a negative review, however the general public seem to have taken to it much more.
My Policeman currently has a 96% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. One reviewer writes “I love the cadence of the story… the twists and turns kept me engaged”. Another adds, “engaging and entertaining story line and Harry Styles is fabulous as young Tom!”
Fans on Letterboxd have awarded the movie 3.5 stars so it is clear that the reviews about My Policeman are a mixed bag.
- Read next: What Is Letterboxd And How Does It Work?
