Hullaballoos are a law unto themselves. Once hyped as the hottest of tickets, Olivia Wilde’s second feature is now routinely described as “cursed”. While the tabloids fixate on the timeline of the director’s relationship with leading man Harry Styles (as well as alleged acrimony between Wilde and lead actress, Florence Pugh), critics have put the boot in. The consensus: the film lacks originality and Styles is miscast. Well, the backlash to the backlash starts here. Wilde goes where no one’s gone before and Styles’ cheekily self-aware turn is epic.
Warning: it’s only possible to appreciate the layers in the pop star’s performance once crucial facts come to light. On first viewing, Styles’ accent, and one or two of his character’s emotional outbursts, will make you cringe. Don’t worry. It’s all part of the plan.
