Florence Pugh. Nick Kroll. Chris Pine. Harry Styles? Everyone has been wondering how the famous singer will hold-up in a film starring major actors.  

The psychological thriller film directed by Styles’ girlfriend, Olivia Wilde, is making waves. There is a split perspective between the critics and the audience. I looked at the audience reviews and found that almost the same number of people gave it one star as they did five stars. Rotten Tomatoes has a score of 38%, which is considerably lower than what most fans were expecting based on the phenomenal trailer. 

I knew I would be watching this movie as soon as I heard of it. As a big Harry Styles fan, I was nervous that his performance would be mediocre when compared to the other actors. Walking into the theater, I interviewed some people in line to get their initial thoughts. One said, “I have high expectations, but also low expectations. The reviews were really bad, but I really want it to be good.” Another chimed in, saying, “Anything with Harry will be good.”  

The movie truly is a wild ride. The cinematography is stunning. And the film gives an eerie feeling that lingers for hours after, which I’m guessing is its intended purpose. As for Harry’s acting, I think he tried his best but nothing mind blowing. I was slightly confused by his accent, as I’m sure many fans were. “Is he supposed to be American or British?” I heard one member whisper during the viewing. Overall, I really liked the movie, and can’t wait until it comes out on a streaming service so I can watch it again and try to understand it better.  

After the viewing, I asked the same audience members what they thought. “Deserves better reviews,” one said. The other cracked a joke, stating, it was “a movie about the dangers of letting men have and listen to podcasts.” I personally feel the critics were too harsh and I advise anyone who likes a good mind-twister to give this a watch.