Posted 7/27/2026
Pillion is a daring, darkly comedic "dom-com" that explores the complexities of intimacy and identity. Directed by Harry Lighton and based on the 2020 novel Box Hill by Adam Mars-Jones, the film centers on Colin (Harry Melling), a timid, unassuming young man who lives with his parents and spends his days as a parking enforcement officer. His mundane life is upended when he meets Ray (Alexander Skarsgård), a tall, enigmatic, and fiercely confident leader of a gay biker gang. What begins as a chance encounter in a bar quickly evolves into an intense, rule-bound BDSM relationship, with Colin moving into Ray's townhouse as his live-in submissive.
The movie is being praised for its fearless, "sex net-positive" approach, refusing to sanitize the physical realities of the subculture while maintaining a surprisingly sweet and tender heart. As Colin navigates Ray's strict boundaries—sleeping on the floor, performing domestic tasks, and never being allowed in the house during certain hours—he begins to find a sense of belonging and self-discovery he never thought possible. However, the film also digs into the friction between this secret world and Colin's domestic reality, specifically his relationship with his terminally ill mother, Peggy (Lesley Sharp). Pillion balances graphic, visceral moments with sharp humor, ultimately questioning whether a connection built on such a rigid exchange of power can sustain itself outside the leather-clad sanctuary of Ray's world.
Movie descriptions were generated by Google Gemini.
