Released on Oct. 21, My Policeman is a movie based on the novel written by Bethan Roberts. Primarily set in Brighton in the 1950s, it follows Tom and Marion (Harry Styles and Emma Corrin, respectively), a policeman and a school teacher, who meet and fall in love until they meet Patrick (David Dawson), a curator at the local museum. Soon after, Tom and Patrick fall in love and begin a passionate affair. Even though being gay at the time could land them in prison or worse, killed. We are also introduced to the characters’ older versions as the movie switches between the 50s and the present day, giving us a view into Tom and Marion’s life as spouses and how their relationship is affected when Patrick re-enters their lives by staying in their spare room after suffering a stroke.
I got the chance to see an early screening of it last week at NewFest (New York LGBTQ+ Film Festival). I went into the screening knowing nothing about the movie except for the fact that it was going to crush me. And I walked out absolutely devastated but also so genuinely amazed at how beautiful it is. The cinematography and the soundtrack completely blew me away and the actors’ performances were so good that I can’t help but hope that their hard work is recognized and they get to be nominated for an award.
However, I didn’t expect to relate to the movie as much as I did. Of course, I’m not a gay person living in 1950s England, nor have I had an affair while married, but as a queer person myself, I know what it’s like to hide who you are from the people you love and to wonder every day if it’ll still be like that when you’re older. During a press conference for the movie, Harry Styles said, “It’s about love and about wasted time to me,” and I think that’s the most heartbreaking aspect of the movie.
My only piece of advice is that if you haven’t read the book yet, wait until after you watch the movie. Before watching My Policeman, I was a huge “read the book, before watching the movie” person and while this still rings true for some books, it doesn’t ring true for My Policeman. I found myself watching the movie and wishing that I hadn’t read the book beforehand. Both the book and the movie are beautiful but I wasn’t surprised during certain moments like my friends who haven’t read the book were. So, whether you’re seeing My Policeman in theaters or if you’re waiting until it’s on Amazon Prime, I recommend picking up that book, which is just as beautiful and gives a much closer look into the characters and the plot, after you have watched the movie. That way the movie isn’t spoiled for you and you can also see some of the pieces that the movie left out.
I highly recommend watching My Policeman while it’s playing in theaters or when it’s released on Amazon Prime on Nov. 4. I feel like My Policeman has the chance of being an iconic film, remembered for years to come, because of its beautiful story and the impact it has had on the LGBTQ+ community.