Directed by Harry Lighton, the dramatic (and limited humor) film Pillion is based on the 1975 novel “Box Hill” by Adam Mars-Jones, adapted by the director. It is set in an unnamed city in England, in a later time than the novel. Lighton’s feature-film directorial debut had its world premiere at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival and subsequently screened at several other film festivals. While it is a good film, a few scenes with different characters are hard to watch. I don’t recall any laugh-out-loud comedy.
Colin (Harry Melling) works as a parking meter enforcer and lives with his parents, Pete (Douglas Hodge) and Peggy (Lesley Sharp). They love and accept Colin’s lifestyle.
Synopsis: A timid man is swept off his feet when an enigmatic, impossibly handsome biker takes him on as his submissive.
Pillion is about the relationship between two men who meet around the December holidays and go on to form a relationship. Colin does not appear to have much dating history, but he is ready to please the handsome Ray (Alexander Skarsgård) in his leather attire (or otherwise). After their first encounter, it is not too long after that when Colin prepares a backpack to spend time at Ray’s home. He soon learns more about Ray’s preferences, activities, and sleeping patterns, leading to their BDSM (bondage, discipline, sadism, and masochism) relationship.
People may want to hustle to the theater to catch the film starring Alexander Skarsgård, as he is a talented actor with a wide range of skills. Still, they should be aware that this very well-written story does not hold back on showing the audience how Skarsgård’s character, Ray, behaves with Colin and what his expectations are. Colin wants to please him and learns to navigate the world he has entered. A pillion is the passenger seat for a motorcycle, and he is more than ready to take the ride. As with most relationships, there is emotional vulnerability, as well as the degree to which each partner is willing to be deeply invested in the other.
The film can be heartwarming, but also heartbreaking when Colin wants more than Ray has been willing to give, considering all the boundaries he has set between them. Their ages and life experiences differ; thus, it is no doubt that their relationship expectations do too.
Source: A24