Harry Styles' My Policeman slammed by critics as 'underwhelming' and 'overhyped'

Harry Styles' latest film, My Policeman, releases in cinemas across the UK today. However, it's not all celebrations for the former One Direction star after critics slammed the film.

My Policeman, which also stars David Dawson and Emma Corrin, follows policeman Tom (Styles) who enjoys a secret gay romance with museum curator Patrick (Dawson) despite his marriage to Marion (Corrin). The film boasts a star-studded supporting cast with Rupert Everett, Gina McKee and Linus Roache also appearing.

Despite the power of some of Hollywood’s finest, My Policeman fails to hit the mark. Some of the industry’s top critics have dubbed the film underwhelming.

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Tom Charity, a critic for The Times, said the film was “An earnest, heavy-handed adaptation of Bethan Roberts’s tragic love story, for which the word “plodding” seems all too appropriate”. The Independent’s Jessie Thompson, who rated the film two stars, said: “Harry Styles is criminally bad in this clunky, ineffective period drama”.

Whilst The Telegraph’s Tim Robey simply dubbed it: “Colourless, miscast, adrift”. He added that “Harry Styles’s bisexual bobby is far from arresting”.

From left to right: David Dawson, Emma Corrin and Harry Styles in My Policeman (Parisa Taghizadeh/Amazon Studios)

The Daily Mail's Brian Viner slammed the singer-turned-actor's role as 'not very arresting' as he appeared underwhelmed by the film. With many critics giving it a solid two-star rating, it sits at just 40% on the popular reviews site Rotten Tomatoes.

Critics honed in on Styles’ performance in particular. Ryan Leston from IGN said the star’s performance in the “underwhelming” tale was “woefully sub-par”.

Styles’ legion of fans, meanwhile, have other opinions, with many using social media to share their praise for the actor. No doubt they will show their love for the 28-year-old by turning out to see the film in their droves.

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