For those who don’t know, the title of “Pillion” (British director Harry Righton’s debut feature, a controversial gay “fetish romantic” starring Scandinavian hunk Alexander Skarsgård and “Harry Potter” alumnus Harry Melling), refers to the back seat of a motorcycle, and the person sitting there is said to be “riding a pillion.”
This definition may be helpful when considering the film’s story of an introverted, gay Londoner who becomes involved with a handsome but ruthless biker and is introduced to the subculture of Dom/Sub relationships. In that it evokes a dynamic that might mirror the one that exists between the film’s two protagonists. But it would be a mistake to think that the title is meant to be some sort of summary, since Wrighton has a film that is both jarringly humorous and surprisingly gentle, and doesn’t seem to imply that it’s interested in offering any facile explanations or facile value judgments about the lifestyle it explores.
The film centers on Colin (Melling), a timid parking lot warden who still lives with his mother and father (Leslie Sharp and Douglas Hodge) and whose hobby is singing in a barbershop quartet. After a gig singing Christmas carols at a gay bar, he catches the eye of the sophisticated and confident Ray (Skarsgård), and after a brief, thrilling and intimidating exchange, Ray gives him her phone number. Prompted by his parents, he decides to make a phone call, which leads to hot sex in a back alley and eventually a live-in BDSM situation where he becomes Ray’s official “sub”, attending to his every need and becoming a member of the gay biker community to which he belongs. No problem at all for Colin. He happily accepts his role. But when he begins to crave a deeper connection with the enigmatic and emotionally distant Ray, it disrupts the dynamics of their relationship and exposes him to tests he may not be able to overcome.
“Pillion” was already generating buzz even before its award-winning debut at the Cannes Film Festival last May, largely due to the hype surrounding Skarsgård’s casting as the leather-clad protagonist in a gay BDSM romance. But near-universal critical acclaim quickly justified its buzz, making it one of the most anticipated movie releases of 2025 — especially for gay audiences, and especially for those who are part of the BDSM community and rarely have the opportunity to be “seen” on screen as anything other than a lazy stereotype.
Naturally, much of the buzz is driven by sexual frenzy, fueled by the promise of kinky sex on screen and rumors of an infamous close-up highlighting one Swedish film star’s frontal assets. But one of the remarkable things about “Pillion” is that while it certainly doesn’t downplay the overt sexual aspects at the heart of the relationship, it doesn’t use it to titillate or shock us. The abundance of intimate scenes is certainly sexy, but it also depicts the development of the bonds between the characters, expressing emotions that can only be expressed within an agreed-upon dynamic. These advance both the story and our perception of the characters’ psychology, and while they may occasionally be shocking to viewers unaccustomed to seeing gay fetish sex portrayed openly on screen, they do a good job of capturing the joy of the experience rather than making it sensationalized or gruesome.
In fact, when Pillion ends, it’s not the sex that stays with us (or at least not the only thing). It is a delicate balance maintained between tension and ease, detachment and gentleness, rigor and flow, reflecting the burgeoning passions contained within the tightly controlled order of their power relations. It’s the depth of acting that anchors Melling’s film, emphasizing Colin’s strength rather than his cowardice and allowing us to experience an entire journey of discovery that allows us to empathize with Colin in surprising ways. That’s because the relationships between all the characters are authentic, from Sharpe and Hodge’s doting parents to Scissor Sisters frontman Jake Sears (in his film acting debut) as a sidekick who sparks jealousy between Colin and Ray. Most of all, it’s the way it allows the story to move along in a slow, methodical rhythm, reflected in the measured tension of Erik Satie’s “Gymnopode No. 1” echoed by Oliver Coates’ evocative score, which makes everything feel completely natural.
And yes, it’s also Skarsgård. Skarsgård subtly (and with wry humor) contrasts the stoicism of a tight-lipped alpha with the perfect, force-of-nature masculinity. We don’t know much about Ray through the screenplay’s dialogue, written in Wright’s pithy language, but we can draw our own conclusions from the eloquent silence that Skarsgård envelops the character like a security blanket. Best of all, he never uses his role as “Dom” in this film to overshadow Melling. This is Colin’s story, after all, and Skarsgard’s Ray consistently deploys tactics of “quiet command” against him, never stealing the spotlight.
As the film’s writer and director, Wroten performs perhaps the most delicate balancing act. He took a story (adapted from a novel by Adam Mars Jones) about someone discovering themselves within the BDSM community, engaging in sexual behavior that was outside of their comfort zone for many viewers, and entering into a “romantic” partnership that most people would find unacceptable, and turned it into a film that depicted all the complexities of the human experience. You may not know (or want to know) much about life as a sub in a BDSM partnership, but you do know what it feels like to love someone and want love in return. Wroten knows that Pillion is a story about that, and he knows how to tell it in a way that you will understand, too.
That being said, it’s clear that there are many audiences for whom a movie about queer fetish sex in leather may simply be taking it too far. Anyone who approaches a “pilion” should be aware that reactions may vary from different perspectives, depending on one’s own familiarity with, or comfort level with, the BDSM lifestyle. If you’ve stepped into that world, nothing this movie shows will confuse you, and if you haven’t, only you know your limits.
For us, the film is a commendable work by a promising new queer director, shining a light on the insular culture within the larger rainbow community with intelligence, dignity, and an absence of any of the homophobic tropes that often plague queer films, even those made by queer filmmakers themselves.
Unfortunately for Americans, Pillion was released in the UK on November 28th, but we won’t have a chance to see it until February 6th. Since the buzz is getting stronger and the stars are in full “promotion” mode at the talk show venue, we thought it would be a good idea to let everyone know that while we may have a while to wait, it’s worth the wait.
After all, as any good Dom will tell you, the pleasure offered is even sweeter when it’s finally given.
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