An adaptation of Adam Mars-Jones’ novel “Box Hill,” “Pillion” centers around Colin (Harry Melling), a timid and by-the-book traffic warden with an ‘aptitude for devotion’ who enters into a dom-sub arrangement with Ray, an enigmatic and muscly biker (played by Alexander Skarsgård). The pair’s meet cute is sloppy, involving an awkward blowjob in an alleyway. But soon Colin begins to match the stride of their riding sessions (for want of a better word), and discovers a sense of liberation through orgies in the woods accompanied by the rest of Ray’s biker gang who equally enjoy frolicking in the buff with reckless abandon.
Following his sexual awakening, Colin craves for more agency and perhaps even a life-long commitment. As somebody who’s long been shielded away and stifled by overprotective parents insistent on making decisions on his behalf, he is not one to remain tethered to his dom or ride pillion any more, and thus attempts to commandeer the relationship.
A Subversive Exploration of a Strange Arrangement
Right off the bat, Harry Lighton’s directorial debut feels like a spiritual successor to the underappreciated “Secretary,” albeit framed through the queer gaze. But “Pillion” also differs from its predecessor by foregoing a happy ending for the lead couple, and subverts expectations by instead depicting a physical relationship that’s unravelling due to a lack of emotional depth. While it captures BDSM practices in all their risqué shades, the movie extends beyond kinks and sexy romps, too, and doesn’t shy from portraying the unsexy aspects either. These include pent-up frustrations and a recurring theme of incompatibility which rears its ugly head and hinders Colin’s love life.
Initially the shy submissive will gladly sleep at the foot of his dominant’s bed no questions asked; but this is eventually not enough to quench him and Colin begins penning poems akin to those a pining schoolboy might address to their crush, in the hopes of reciprocation from an emotionally unavailable Ray. The wait for validation, however, only leaves him questioning his self-worth further, and impromptu tests of loyalty/envy-inducing acts set up by his sadomasochist partner only add to this mental toll.
As the movie progresses, he desperately resorts to self harm in a bid to coax a closed-off Ray to lower his guard, willingly subjecting himself to excruciating pain just for a comforting embrace/caress from the latter.
How ‘Pillion’ Upends the Usual Tropes of the Genre
Aside from the power play between the couple, “Pillion” also navigates Colin’s detachment from his family as he grows closer to Ray, with his terminally ill mother Peggy later locking horns with her son’s paramour during an awkward family dinner. Peggy’s dinner table tirade is satisfying to watch since it upends the archetype of the brooding, bordering on unlikable love interest who has become a permanent fixture of contemporary bondage romances and who is usually never pulled up for his problematic attitude.
The movie also benefits from visual metaphors, with a few being subtle and others more on the nose. These include the padlock that hangs around Colin’s neck and weighs him down and confines him to Ray (the latter wears the literal key on a chain around his own neck); and Colin stealing Ray’s bike during a late-night argument before riding off into traffic, setting off on a brief quest of rediscovering a lost sense of individuality.
Of Solid Performances All Around
Skarsgård has mastered the art of playing ruggedly handsome and stoic characters and slips into the tight biker suit of Ray, a rigid and dominating sex god with ease. Personally speaking, though, it is Melling who caught my attention as Colin who has relinquished his body and personality for physical pleasures of the flesh but is denied emotional gratification despite his endless devotion.
Melling’s acting prowess shines through as he quietly steals the show, conveying the character’s innermost desires in a subdued yet brilliant manner, and the actor has certainly come a long way since his days playing second fiddle as the gluttonous Dudley Dursley in the Harry Potter franchise.
Melling also balances the angst of this character with a touch of whimsy, in instances such as a flustered Colin flushing tomato red while Ray measures him up for a matching skintight onesie. Douglas Hodge and Lesley Sharp offer compelling supporting performances as Colin’s concerned, more traditional-minded parents, with the former also occasionally offering comic relief with the heat cranked up at the dinner table.
Rising Above Superficiality to Capture Humanity Underneath
Oliver Coates’ musical arrangements are worthy of a mention, too, especially befitting a third act wherein the background score seamlessly blends into noises of a bike revving up, and an a cappella quartet cover of “Smile” that tugs at the heartstrings, simultaneously perfectly capping off the bittersweet direction of Colin and Ray’s sexually charged escapades.
Ultimately, with its moments of tenderness and a heavy helping of self-awareness “Pillion” manages to rise above superficial titillation, and especially succeeds in deconstructing the erotic fiction genre itself.
Harry Lighton’s “Pillion” had its world premiere in the Un Certain Regard section of the Cannes Film Festival on 18 May 2025. The film was released in cinemas in the United States by A24 on 6 February 2026. Follow us for more coverage.
