Pillion review: Alexander Skarsgård’s BDSM biker romance is hilarious, heartening and oh-so horny

That Pillion is the feature length debut from filmmaker Harry Lighton is astonishing, given its whip-smart, frequently laugh-out-loud script, intelligent camera framing and ambitious storytelling.

In the canon of LGBTQ+ representation on the big screen, Pillion is both bold and subversive, but without losing any heart and humility. It’s a big swing for a debut, but it pays off hugely.

Pillion follows Harry Potter star Harry Melling as Colin, a meek beta male type who lives in suburban England with his parents, leaving the house mainly for his job as a traffic warden, and to sing with his father in a barbershop quartet. On Christmas Eve, while on a flailing date in the pub, he stumbles into the orbit of Ray, a chiseled, leather-clad and po-faced alpha and biker gang member, played by a surly Alexander Skarsgård.

The all-but-silent Ray orders Colin to meet him behind the back of a Primark – on Christmas Day no less – and within the film’s first ten minutes, viewers have seen Ray’s penis, Colin wiping semen from his lips and lowering himself to the ground to lick Ray’s boots. Yet this isn’t gratuitous smut; Pillion unfolds into a frankly groundbreaking cinematic portrayal of a queer, dom/sub relationship that harbours questions about desire, identity, and how much we are willing to push our boundaries in order to be seen.

These incendiary talking points are shrouded by a distinctively British sense of humour: after giving Ray head and later being ordered to get himself a butt plug as he’s “too tight”, Colin say things like “Lovely, that sounds like a plan!” and “Thanks for having me!”. When Colin arrives home from that delightfully smutty first encounter, his mother Peggy (Lesley Sharp) – a highlight throughout – innocently asks: “Did you kiss?”

Colin and Ray’s boundaried relationship evolves, with dom Ray inviting his sub Colin to stay with him – so long as he cooks, cleans and sleeps on the bedroom floor. In return, Ray treats Colin to sex, though never in the missionary position, and never with kissing. Colin is introduced to Ray’s biker gang and encouraged to shave his head. He distances himself from his parents and neglects work. Through all of this, Colin seems stuck between being wildly turned on, hopelessly lovelorn, and simply dumbstruck by his own luck. 

It’s in Colin’s liminal state that Pillion thrives. Those of us watching are at once heartbroken for Colin as his gentle attempts to form a more conventional relationship with Ray are batted away, and left smiling ear-to-ear at Colin’s gradual self-discovery.

There will no doubt be online discourse about the nature of their relationship, given Colin’s participation doesn’t feel as explicitly consensual as is requisite for typical dom/sub pairings.

Others will argue that it shines a much-needed light on a subculture of the queer community that remains misunderstood, even by the wider queer community at large. Despite the ambiguity, Pillion is an intoxicating love story nonetheless – be it between Ray and Colin, or Colin and his strengthened sense of self.

If there is any tiny gripe it is with Skarsgård’s Ray, who remains so emotionally impenetrable throughout that it becomes a little unbelievable. As Melling bares such heart as Colin, the difference is distracting.

“Pillion is more than Skarsgård’s genitals”

Of course, it’s the point, but it can make the relationship feel too artificial at times. However, Lighton’s direction is sublime, continually putting Colin physically in Ray’s shadow, and etching his quiet heartache into every minute facial expression. Melling deserves major props for his performance; it’s a role that would have better suited very few others.

Of course, the headlines will focus largely on the sex and smut, as there’s plenty of it. But Pillion is more than Skarsgård’s genitals (it seems Lighton is a marketing expert, too) – it’s an exceptional introduction to a filmmaker who has created an audacious addition to queer cinema. 

Pillion is in cinemas in the UK and Ireland from 28 November.

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