Harry Styles first pops up in Christopher Nolan’s new historical war effort “Dunkirk” about a half hour into the film.
In the scene, he’s nearly crushed by a boat and saved by a fellow young soldier played by Fionn Whitehead.
As expected in a movie with as little dialogue as “Dunkirk,” the former One Direction singer doesn’t say his first line until many minutes later, while aboard a boat that too will eventually sink.
“What’s wrong with your friend?” Styles’ Alex asks Whitehead’s character, while shoveling jam-covered bread into his mouth.
Later, he has a meatier exchange with a fellow solider in the bowels of ship in the midst of a quickly deteriorating situation. Styles’ character is not a golden-hearted serviceman, but a scared young man who wants to survive and will do so even if it means sacrificing one for the sake of the rest.
They’re not Oscar-winning moments, but as CNN’s review of the film pointed out, “Dunkirk” is not a character piece. If there’s any star in the film, it’s sand, not a man named Styles.
But it’s for that reason that choosing “Dunkirk” as his film debut may have been the smartest move possible for Styles.
Sure, Styles could have held out for a starring vehicle, but then the success or failure of that film would have fallen squarely on his shoulders — a story many musicians who’ve attempted the transition from center stage to screen know well.
Mariah Carey was panned for “Glitter” and it took almost eight years and a break from Lee Daniels for her to prove she had acting chops in “Precious.”
Justin Timberlake’s film debut came in 2005’s “Edison Force,” but despite being flanked by Kevin Spacey and Morgan Freeman, the thriller ended up going directly to DVD. He’s since found better success as part of an ensembles, like the role he took on in “The Social Network.”
For some time, especially in the hey day of pop music, it was hard to find a musician who could make a legitimate go at movie stardom and make it look believable. (Sorry, Britney, Christina and Jessica.)
On the other end of the spectrum, Jennifer Hudson made her film debut in “Dreamgirls,” a film that had Beyoncé Knowles’ name at the top of the credits. Hudson ended up winning an Academy Award, and now lives comfortably in both the music and movie worlds.
One could see Styles doing the same, taking the occasional break from music to visit a movie set, much like Lenny Kravitz (“The Hunger Games”) or Rihanna (“Bates Motel,” “Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets”).
“Dunkirk” is not the best gauge for his potential beyond that — if he has the chops to reinvent himself as Mark Wahlberg, Queen Latifah or Will Smith have in the past. But it’s certainly enough to score him another role.
Entertainment Weekly called Styles’ performance “solid,” while Rolling Stone praised him for playing his part with “subtle grace and zero pop-star showboating.”
Styles’ follow-up will likely be a better gauge of how seriously he’s taking his acting career, whether he has Oscar ambitions or is simply living while he’s young.