Harry Styles Shines in "Dunkirk" But He Should Have Never Been Underestimated

Yes, Dunkirk may be Harry Styles’s big screen debut, but we shouldn’t have doubted the 23-year-old performer in the first place.

As the premiere date for Christopher Nolan's World War II epic drew nearer, one question was repeated over and over: But can Harry act? And now that reviews have begun to trickle out from various publications, the queries continue in the form of language such as “Yes, Harry Styles can act.” But why were we immediately writing him off from "serious" material in the first place? Some people even said that Harry should "stick to music." But doubting him was wrong, especially seeing as how he does have acting experience and should be treated with the same critical respect that any new actor is given when they excel in a big role.

Sure, some of Harry’s previous roles have been more in the vein of comedy than a gritty war movie by a famous director primarily known for box office action flicks. Fans, of course, could never forget Harry’s Marcel character from the “Best Song Ever” music video — cute as a button, really. Harry was arguably a standout in the video that now boasts over 525 million views on YouTube. Furthermore, he arguably had the most prominent role out of his One Direction mates when the group was on an episode of Nickelodeon's iCarly and Harry gets sick with jungle worms after he drinks from Carly's water bottle

And beyond the music video from a few years prior, Harry has been showing off his acting chops over the past couple of months. His Saturday Night Live episode further proved that he's one of those celebrities who can transform into a number of characters, including Mick Jagger and even a Civil War soldier (not too far from a Brit one in Dunkirk). In addition, he could hold his own on-screen with James Corden on The Late Late Show. Time after time he convinced his fans and audiences that he was much more than just a singer, yet he was still met with skepticism by many anticipating his role in director Christopher Nolan’s Dunkirk. Nolan himself didn't even realize how famous Harry was and said in a previous interview that he cast the performer because "because he fit the part wonderfully and truly earned a seat at the table."

To be fair, a dark war film like Dunkirk is quite a departure from being funny in front of the camera, but it wasn’t as if Harry was simply relying on his charming personality to get some laughs. He demonstrated a commitment to the figures he was embodying and a talent for capturing what made these characters feel real. Sure, some hesitation is predictable, but postulations that an entire movie could possibly be ruined by a former boy band member are unfounded and judgmental.

Meanwhile, Fionn Whitehead, who also stars in Dunkirk, seemingly did not face the same level of scrutiny that Harry has even though he's a newcomer himself. The thing is, Nolan is clearly a seasoned director who has created noteworthy film after film, including Interstellar and Inception. He knows what he's doing and he would not have cast Fionn and Harry in these prominent roles if he didn't think that they couldn't deliver — which they most definitely do.

So why is it so surprising to many that the illustrious Harry Styles could act? It’s likely because of how he came into his stardom. For many adult men, the image of One Direction is a flat one, pictured as five boys going around singing frivolous songs with hordes of screaming fangirls following them wherever they go. What’s overlooked is that at the end of the day, each one of these guys is extremely talented. And as Harry pointed out in his recent interview with Rolling Stone, fawning fangirls can spill their hearts for a musical group, but they’re also "our future doctors, lawyers, mothers, presidents, they kind of keep the world going." Similar to how an adult may not take a young person seriously until they transition into adulthood, it's important to remember that youth culture deserves to be recognized. There’s no doubt that the stigma surrounding boy bands and fangirls played into the apprehension of Harry’s role in Dunkirk — and it’s so refreshing that the singer and actor has smashed that initial disbelief.

And it’s not like this grand transition from boy band member into actor is unprecedented. Before Justin Timberlake was in movies including The Social Network and Friends With Benefits, he was in a little band called *NSync. Oh, and Harry has already totally reeled in the dad demographic, with his music at least.

Doubters of Harry will be pleasantly surprised by how enjoyable it is to see him on the big-screen during a movie that depicts one of the most important moments in World War II history for Brits. Meanwhile, fans will comfortably sit in their theater seats watching Harry do what they already knew he was capable of.

Related: Harry Styles Found the Perfect Date for the Premiere of His New Movie Dunkirk

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