My Policeman is a clandestine queer romance set in the 1950s starring Harry Styles, David Dawson, and Emma Corin. The movie is based on a book of the same name by Bethan Roberts and about a titular copper, Tom, who falls in love with Patrick, a museum curator. Corrin stars as Tom’s beleaguered wife, Marion, left behind while he pursues his secretive gay fling.
Styles is the talk of the town all across Hollywood right now as he has crossed lanes from singer to actor in a beautifully successful fashion. He is really making his resume stand out by having two film roles already: appearing in Christopher Nolan’s 2017 film “Dunkirk,” and briefly in the post-credits scene in last year’s “Eternals,” directed by Chloé Zhao.
Still coming up for Styles is: Don’t Worry Darling, a thriller from director/actor Olivia Wilde, starring Florence Pugh, Wilde, Chris Pine, Styles, and more. The release date for this film has been set to September 23, 2022. It seems like our beloved Harry Styles will be closing out the year with 2 A-list films.
Cred: @petrokas
Back to My Policeman, set in the 1950s, My Policeman follows Marion (Corin) and Tom’s (Styles) love story after she falls in love when he teaches her to swim at Brighton beach. A few years later Tom, a policeman, meets Patrick (Dawson) at a museum, and Patrick becomes besotted with him in a love affair that would have been considered unacceptable in that era. It’s safer for Tom to marry Marion but she must share her policeman with Patrick, embracing their threesome relationship until jealousy breaks one of them.
The story flashes forward to the 90s when an elderly Patrick re-enters Marion and Tom’s lives, with life-changing consequences.
Cred: @ewitsoe
Production on My Policeman wrapped last year and little was known about the film, until now. On Monday, March 7th, an advanced test screening for My Policeman took place in San Diego, which studios usually do when a movie is in the final stages of post-production to gauge audience reaction and make any necessary tweaks. The latest news update on My Policeman is that it’s been rated ‘R’ for sexual content, which is the equivalent of an age rating of 15 in the UK.
We still don’t have a release date, and the official status of the film hasn’t changed, but if the first reviews are to be trusted, and we’d take them with a pinch of salt, we could be in for a fantastic film. The film has been steadily gaining so much traction that critics are speculating it will revive Oscar buzz once it is released.
The reason behind test audience screenings is for the target demographic to watch and form an opinion used to help the film succeed. Based on their reactions, any last-minute tweaks can be made as this usually happens when the movie is in its final stages of post-production. During an advanced test screening for the film, audiences raved about the film and Styles’ overall performance.
Cred: @rswebsols
According to Twitter account, My Policeman Updates, who said they had an insider at the screening, Styles gives ‘a nuanced performance‘ while Corin and Dawson were also said to be exceptional. After the screening, fans had compared the film to other iconic queer love stories such as Call Me By Your Name and Brokeback Mountain, both of which have previously won Oscars.
There are a few intimate scenes throughout the story and, according to fans of Harry’s at the screening, they were shot ‘beautifully.’ There were, of course, many opinions on the R-rated movie’s much-hyped sex scenes. Reportedly, Styles has racy scenes with both Corin and Dawson, though fans noted a few distinctions between the two: the queer sex scenes being longer, more intimate, and less awkward than the ones between husband and wife.
The My Policeman Updates account tweeted: “There are scenes which show how Tom deals with intimacy with both Marion and Patrick. More and longer with Patrick to show that’s who he actually is attracted to and has feelings for. The scenes are beautiful.”
The scenes were apparently ‘not obscene’ as it shows them ‘falling apart together’, with the account adding: “There is nudity… only a*** cheeks.”
Commenting on Styles’ lead acting debut, fans said: “Harry gives a very nuanced performance – the stress and fear of being found out is palpable and heart wrenching. He shows real talent and depth as an actor,” while they called Corin ‘outstanding‘.
Credit also went to director Michael Grandage (who has a CBE for his work in theater), and the other members of the main cast. “Emma was outstanding. There were moments where you felt almost sorry for Marion and then times where she was really dark. There were lots of hints as to what was going on which she ignores and that really helps to build the tension.” @MyPolicemanU on Twitter also reported that love interest David Dawson had “an amazing presence and really captured the audience. The chemistry between the three younger leads was fantastic.”
Overall, it seems the fans who left the screening were deeply moved by the film’s take on the novel: “There are little moments where the audience gasped, where they laughed – slight changes to the book that made people sob”, @MypolicemanU added. “None of us are ready for how much we are going to cry”. Get your tissues ready people, we’re in for an emotional ride.
Our talented and lovely Harry really hit the jackpot by having the world’s highest-paying jobs without a college degree, and we are all loving his incredible success. There is no reported release date to My Policeman just yet, but there have been rumors that the film is expected to debut sometime in 2022 and we’re sure to get an official release date very soon.
