Viewers puzzled at Harry Styles’ ‘Transatlantic’ accent in Don’t Worry Darling teaser

The film is set in 1950s California, but it is unclear where Styles’ character is meant to be from
Don’t Worry Darling is set to be released on September 23
Warner Bros
Jill Lupupa26 August 2022
The Weekender

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Harry Styles’ Transatlantic accent in the upcoming film Don’t Worry Darling has left fans confused about where his character should be from.

The 28-year-old pop star and actor is starring alongside Midsommar’s Florence Pugh, 26, in the upcoming psychological thriller directed by actress and Styles’ partner, Olivia Wilde.

The film is set in 1950s California, where Styles plays Jack while Pugh plays his wife, Alice.

Rolling Stone posted a never-before-seen clip of the new movie on social media initially after Styles appeared on the cover of its magazine.

Fans were quickly left baffled by the Transatlantic accent from Styles with some saying he is doing a bad impression of an American accent, while others claimed that his character is supposed to be British.

A Transatlantic or Mid-Atlantic accent is a fictionalised blend between British and American English that Hollywood actors in the 1930s and 1940s adopted to sound sophisticated and wealthy.

The actors in the clip are arguing over Jack’s job, played by Styles, with him saying “not everyone gets this opportunity, and if you keep talking like this, you’re going to put it all at risk”.

Alice retorts: “You’re worried about a demotion, that’s what you’re worried about?”

To which Jack replies: “Our life, Alice! Our life together, this, I could lose this.”

Pugh, who hails from Oxford, puts on a noticeable American accent in the film while Styles’ accent is seen to be miles apart with a Transatlantic twang.

One user tweeted: “Wow he really said Mr Worldwide with this accent flyover.”

One fan said: “I love Harry but Flo is going to have to carry Don’t Worry Darling on her shoulders and she knew it.”

Another commented: “The multitude of accents, the lack of commitment to a single emotion – you can’t be serious...”

One person replied: “He’s literally just talking in his natural voice bc his character is from England too lmao.”

Many echoed that Styles is simply speaking in a Manchester accent, with one journalist tweeting: “Fuming at the comments about Harry’s accent on this post. Takes me back to drama school when a certain director told me my northern accent was ‘wrong’!?

“This IS what we sound like in the North-West, you’ve just been exposed to shite impersonations in the past.”

Others are waiting for the film to drop before making any quick judgments, saying: “Maybe we should wait for Don’t Worry Darling to actually drop? Cause all these takes from that *one clip?”

The film, which also stars Chris Pine and Gemma Chan, will hit cinemas on September 23.

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