European Landmarks Are Spotted in Queer Romance Flick 'My Policeman' — Was It Filmed There?
Nov. 7 2022, Updated 6:23 p.m. ET
Oh to be caught in a love triangle with androgynous pop music superstar Harry Styles. Michael Grandage's romance film My Policeman stars the "Watermelon Sugar" singer as policeman Tom Burgess, who falls for schoolteacher Marion (Emma Corrin) in England. All is well and heteronormative until Tom begins to fancy museum curator and art historian Patrick (David Dawson), and the two inevitably start an affair.
This "tale of forbidden romance and changing social conventions" sees how the relationships between the trio of characters change and grow over the course of several decades. Linus Roache, Gina McKee, and Rupert Everett play older versions of Tom, Marion, and Patrick, respectively.
Though we know the impassioned story unfolds in England, specifically on the Brighton coast, that doesn't necessarily mean it was filmed there. Let's discuss filming locations for Prime Video's My Policeman.
Where was 'My Policeman' filmed?
My Policeman — which is based on author Bethan Roberts's 2012 novel of the same name — was filmed in England and Italy, specifically locations in Brighton, London, and Venice, per Condé Nast Traveler.
The Cinemaholic further detailed that some scenes were filmed near England's seaside town of Worthing. Tom and Marion go on a date at the Vine pub at 27-29 High Street in West Tarring, a suburban neighborhood of Worthing.
Brighton's Palace Pier (where Harry Styles and Emma Corrin were filmed playing arcade games) and the Royal Pavilion — aka "the seaside pleasure palace of King George IV" — acted as filming locations for the film.
The historic 1800s residences and hotels of Regency Square, the Regency architecture of Hove’s Brunswick Square, and Belcher’s Café (which is big on tradition, so don't go expecting on-trend food) on Montpelier Road, were also used for My Policeman.
The area surrounding East Sussex also offered itself as a backdrop, as did the delightful Brighton Beach. It's no wonder why Brighton is often called "London by the Sea."
As for the real London, filming took place near the London School of Economics and Political Science on Houghton Street. Additionally, scenes were shot in the Hitchin Swimming Centre in the historic market town of Hitchin, which is located in the North Hertfordshire district.
Taking things to Southern Europe, the utterly romantic city of Venice can be spotted in My Policeman's later scenes. Harry Styles and David Dawson were seen exploring the street of Calle Larga Widmann, not to mention the gondolas on the picturesque Grand Canal, because obviously.
When does 'My Policeman' take place?
The plot of My Policeman flips between two timelines. Tom and Patrick engage in a steamy, uncontrollable affair in postwar Brighton during the 1950s, which acts as the catalyst for a rocky, halfhearted marriage between Tom and Marion. It's important to note that homosexuality was illegal at this time.
To each other, both men are forbidden fruit, but the constraints of both the sanctity of marriage and societal expectations can't hold them back.
The other timeline sees Tom and Marion live out their retired lives in the 1990s, clearly impacted by the fiery, jolting events of the past, with Patrick reentering the couple's life.
My Policeman is now streaming on Prime Video.
