There's a growing group of filmgoers who believe that sex has no place in movies. Harry Lighton's Pillion will undoubtedly shock these people. Lead actor Alexander Skarsgård has referred to the film as a "domination comedy" during its press tour, and he's right. The film has more in common with a low-key indie comedy than with the Fifty Shades of Grey trilogy, even though Pillion also centers on a BDSM relationship. What Pillion, adapted from Adam Mars-Jones' 2020 novel Box Hill, understands better than Fifty Shades is how the BDSM community can be a safe space for people to discover themselves.
At first glance, Colin (Harry Melling) isn't what you'd consider an adventurous type. He's a parking enforcement officer who sings in a barbershop quartet in his spare time. His mother (Lesley Sharp) encourages him to find a partner, but Colin struggles to connect with anyone. The answer to his isolation comes in the form of a motorcyclist, Ray (Skarsgård), who hands him a note in a bar without saying a word. The note indicates a time and a place, nothing more. The two begin a dominant-submissive relationship that brings Colin out of his shell in unexpected ways.
Director: Harry Lighton
Writers: Harry Lighton, Adam Mars-Jones
Stars: Harry Melling, Alexander Skarsgård, Douglas Hodge
Pillion opens with a black screen and the roar of a motorcycle engine revving. The sound builds to a deafening volume before fading into an Italian pop song. We immediately understand who Colin and Ray are. It's Ray's motorcycle that speeds past Colin on the road, with its catchy pop tune, but the audience senses the intrigue reflected on Colin's face as he watches Ray weave through traffic. He's curious about the life of a motorcyclist, unaware that Ray is part of a larger community of motorcycle clubs and BDSM enthusiasts.
Lighton's Pillion is an exploration of a young man discovering himself through his sexuality. What attracts someone sexually is a dynamic understood within oneself and in the context of another person. That's why the argument that there shouldn't be sex in movies makes no sense. Cinema exists for people to understand themselves and the lives of others.
You might not be interested in the world of BDSM with leather, but someone could discover this community through film and better understand their own desires. Not just in a purely sexual sense, but holistically. That's what Pillion understands so well. Colin's relationship with Ray is also a relationship with himself. He learns the boundaries of what he likes and dislikes. That's one of the essential goals of life: to find the things that excite us, thrill us, and scare us, and to learn to manage those emotions.
Melling, whom many will recognize from his role as Dudley in the Harry Potter saga, delivers a moving and hopeful performance. His character, Colin, is nervous, waiting for life to happen to him, before taking control of his own destiny. As the film progresses, the audience watches his autonomy develop and how he reflects on what he's looking for in a BDSM relationship.
Melling conveys a sweetness, a hope that love is the meaning of everything and that he can find that love within himself and with another person. Skarsgård is imposing, yet with a subtle presence. He's so tall that he dominates every frame he's in, an imposing presence that is firm but also allows for delicate intimacy. Together, they form a phenomenal pairing that perfectly conveys Pillion's message, a film that acknowledges the many paths that can lead to emotional growth.
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