Common Sense Media Review
By Danny Brogan
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
British romantic drama has sex, nudity, homophobia, smoking.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 15+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
My Policeman
What's the Story?
In MY POLICEMAN, married couple Tom and Marion Burgess (Linus Roache and Gina McKee) are forced to face up to their past when old friend Patrick Hazelwood (Rupert Everett) moves in with them.
Is It Any Good?
Set in Brighton, England, and adapted from a 2012 novel of the same name, this romantic drama jumps back and forth between the 1950s and 1990s. At the heart of My Policeman is a gay love story and the struggles that homosexual men in particular faced both from society and the law in the not too distant past. In a series of prolonged flashbacks, pop star turned actor Harry Styles plays Tom Burgess, a policeman who falls in love with museum curator, Patrick Hazelwood (David Dawson). But at a time when being gay was illegal in the United Kingdom, the two hide their relationship and Tom marries Marion (Emma Corrin) instead.
The film does a good job of depicting the struggles that men like Tom and Patrick faced. The secrecy, the threat of violence and arrest, and the impact that all had on their well-being. However, the film suffers from a poor script and unfortunately Styles doesn't convince that his leap from pop stardom to silver screen will be a seamless one. With the likes of seasoned pros such as McKee and Everett -- who play the older versions of Marion and Patrick -- and the impressive Dawson, Styles' performance takes you out of the moment, which is to the detriment of the film.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how My Policeman portrayed sex? Was it affectionate? Respectful? Parents, talk to your teens about your own values regarding sex and relationships.
Which character did you have most sympathy with and why?
Were you shocked to see how the LGBTQ+ community were treated in 1950s England? Do you think things have changed today and if so, in what ways?
How were drinking and smoking portrayed? Were there consequences? Why is that important?
How did the filmmakers use "flashbacks" to tell the story? What other movies have you seen that have used similar techniques?
Movie Details
- In theaters : October 21, 2022
- On DVD or streaming : November 4, 2022
- Cast : Harry Styles , Emma Corrin , David Dawson
- Director : Michael Grandage
- Inclusion Information : Non-Binary Movie Actor(s) , Queer Movie Actor(s) , Gay Movie Writer(s)
- Studio : Prime Video
- Genre : Romance
- Run time : 113 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : sexual content
- Last updated : October 18, 2022
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