‘Pillion’ Review: A Gentle, Subversive Take on Power and Intimacy

Framed as a romantic comedy with an absurdist edge, Pillion dives into the decidedly unconventional relationship between a shy, submissive young gay man from a small British town and a towering biker straight out of a BDSM fantasy: two meters tall, dressed in leather, dominant, aggressive, mostly silent, and bearing a strong Alexander Skarsgård vibe. While this kind of sexual dynamic—gay or straight—is hardly unheard of, what makes it especially curious here is that, at least at first, one of the partners’ mothers is an enthusiastic participant in the arrangement.

Colin (Harry Melling, best known as Dudley in the Harry Potter saga) is a quiet young man who sings in an a cappella group with his father and a few friends. The film opens at a Christmas event where Colin performs carols and then passes the hat for spare change. The only person who refuses to contribute—without even looking at him—is Ray (Skarsgård), though it soon becomes clear that this dismissal is part of his “act.” Shortly afterward, Ray slips Colin a piece of paper with a time and place to meet that very night, and Colin’s mother is delighted that her son has found himself a “boyfriend”—and such a handsome one, at that.

Needless to say, by conventional standards the date is not exactly romantic. Still, Colin leaves the alleyway encounter more than satisfied, even if it involves obeying Ray’s commands, performing oral sex, and licking his leather boots. Before long, the two repeat the same ritual several times and settle into something resembling a relationship—one defined far more by sex and power dynamics than by emotional intimacy.

Colin cooks, cleans, and does whatever Ray asks of him, including sleeping on the floor, avoiding personal questions, and steering clear of kisses or any overt displays of affection. Happily submissive, Colin thrives in this arrangement and even joins Ray on group outings—camping trips included—with other couples living under similar rules. Meanwhile, Mom keeps asking about the “boyfriend” whenever she gets the chance.

Pillion focuses on the push and pull of this relationship, especially once Colin begins to want something more—some affection, some tenderness. Ray remains unmoved by these requests, until a significant event forces both men to reconsider, as much as that may even be possible, what they have together. Is there any room here for a conventional romance? Or is it better not to try? Without entirely abandoning its gentle, lightly comic tone, Harry Lighton’s debut feature gradually grows denser and more emotionally charged as it grapples with these shifts.

Affectionate and kinky in ways that may not be suitable for younger viewers (fans of the Succession actor will get to know parts of him they haven’t seen before), Pillion nonetheless stays within a playful register—until it crosses into more complex territory by asking what different forms of love can look like. Peggy (Lesley Sharp), Colin’s mother, loves and supports her son, but she doesn’t like seeing him ordered around or treated harshly by his partner.

Colin—and Ray himself—insist that this is what they want, that it isn’t an obstacle but the very bond that connects them. Still, Peggy remains worried about her boy. And judging by how their relationship evolves, those “motherly words” may end up having an impact after all—perhaps not the one the couple wants at that moment, but one that could prove meaningful for Colin down the line.