Are Harry Styles' Acting Days Numbered After My Policeman?
Harry Styles has never been bigger than he is right now. While the performer got his start as a part of the teen heartthrob English pop group One Direction, Styles released his first solo album back in 2017. Like Beyonce and Justin Timberlake before him, this decision turned out to be the right one for his career, as the singer-songwriter is more in-demand than ever and both performers have since pursued acting roles, much like the One Direction alum.
Though Styles had his first major role outside of his musical career as the hapless, seemingly-doomed soldier Alex in Christopher Nolan's World War II epic "Dunkirk," the performer has since gone on to land a role in the Marvel ensemble piece "Eternals," as well as high profile roles in Olivia Wilde's embattled drama "Don't Worry Darling" and Michael Grandage's queer period piece "My Policeman." However, with increased scrutiny following his performances in these two recent projects, some are wondering if Styles' acting career is going to pan out.
The singer-actor has been roundly criticized for his performances
While Harry Styles was roundly praised for his role in "Dunkirk," like "Eternals," it was more of an ensemble piece, meaning the performer didn't have much time on the screen to stand out. For what it's worth, though, his role as a panicked, desperate soldier trying to escape certain death was notably effective (via Hello!), which makes his newer projects all the more surprising.
Prior to the release of "Don't Worry Darling," a clip featuring Styles as charming husband Jack was released to the masses and criticized heavily (via USA Today). While some pointed out how weak his craft was compared to co-star Florence Pugh, others wondered what kind of accent the singer-songwriter was even attempting in the clip. The movie and Styles' performance have since been mostly panned by critics (via Rotten Tomatoes).
Unfortunately for Styles, critics on Rotten Tomatoes have also been heavily critical of his performance as a closeted gay cop in the period drama "My Policeman." Wendy Ide of The Guardian wrote: "The best that can be said about Styles is that his is not the worst performance." Meanwhile, A.A. Dowd of Chron commended Styles for trying to increase his range but ultimately decided: "The results suggest that it's not nearly as wide as the stages he headlines." Though Styles currently has other roles in the works going off of his IMDb page, it appears that they may not be enough to ensure a successful acting career for the performer.