Harry Styles hits Toronto for ‘My Policeman’ premiere

With just as much fanfare but a tad less drama, Harry Styles took the Toronto International Film Festival by storm on Sunday, premiering the tragic gay romance “My Policeman” less than a week after the much-gossiped-about debut of “Don’t Worry Darling” in Venice.

“My Policeman,” in which Styles stars alongside Emma Corrin and David Dawson, features the fullest dramatic performance yet from 28-year-old pop star. He stars as a closeted 1950s policeman in Brighton, England, who falls in love with a museum curator (Dawson) yet marries a local schoolteacher (Corrin). It’s a tasteful period piece, inspired by the life of “Howards End” author E.M. Forster, split between the ’50s and four decades later, in which the three characters are played by Gina McKee, Linus Roache and Rupert Everett. Throngs of fans followed Style’s every move in Toronto, a whirlwind day that included a staged interview with the movie’s filmmakers and cast, a quick stop to pick up an ensemble award given by the festival to the “My Policeman” stars and the premiere, itself, in which the uncommon post-movie Q&A was shortened and trimmed of questions from the audience.

Directed by Michael Grandage and adapted from the novel by Bethan Roberts, “My Policeman” is to be relesed in theaters Oct. 21 before streaming Nov. 4 on Amazon Prime Video. While it hadn’t drawn quite as much attention as Style’s other fall movie, Olivia Wilde’s Venice Film Festival entry “Don’t Worry Darling,” “My Policeman” appeared to be more warmly received in Toronto, drawing praise for Style’s performance.