There are certain tropes that come to mind when we think about stories that deal with BDSM – or, if I’m being honest, any romantic relationship where a power imbalance of sorts exists. These tropes have been incepted into our minds by things like “50 Shades of Gray” and, more recently, a plethora of different Romantasy series. There’s always a quieter, weaker counterpart (in some cases, the sub) who ends up melting down the walls of the cold-hearted dom. There’s a little bit of compromise, and both parties find that they can have all the hot kinky sex they want as well as the fluffy, soft, in love part. Everyone wins.
“Pillion,” which is the one of the best romantic comedies to come along in ages, is different. At the beginning, we meet Colin (Harry Melling), who lives with his parents and spends his spare time singing in a barbershop quartet. One night, he meets Ray (Alexander Skarsgård), a biker who, as it turns out, is involved in a local gay biker/BDSM gang. The two couldn’t be more different – Colin, sweet with a shy sense of humor; Ray, hulking, quiet, intimidating. But Colin’s “aptitude for devotion” appeals to Ray, and the two embark on an intensely serious sub/dom relationship.
“Pillion” is a rom-com and coming-of-age all rolled in one, riffing on the tensions that arise in both coming-out and romance stories while never settling in those tropes. Written and directed by Harry Lighton, it hits its odd-couple, Brit-com beats with a joyous sensibility. And yet, it doesn’t compromise on the emotional journey of its protagonist, and that expert blend of emotion and comedy is what makes it work so well. At the end of the day, this is a story about navigating boundaries, and the heartbreak and power that comes from learning to ask for what you need. In fiction, the dom always compromises. “Pillion” dares to ask, what if they don’t?
The idea of “coming out” in queer stories – especially stories about queer people discovering their sexuality – is still pretty prevalent in queer media today. Of course, those types of stories will always be important. But with “Pillion,” Lighton finds his tension elsewhere.
Some of the most fun aspects of “Pillion” center around Colin’s relationship with his family, and that relationship is what really stretches the imagination about what the tension in a gay, coming of age (of sorts) story can be. Colin’s family is aware of his sexuality – one of the first times we see him, he’s on a date with a man that his mom picked for him (she does this quite a bit). When his relationship with Ray picks up, he’s quite open with his family about the fact that he’s dating a man – just not what the exact nature of their relationship is. And in 2026, it feels far more likely that someone would feel more comfortable telling their parents they’re gay than they would telling them their partner makes them sleep on the floor like a dog – and, that they like it.
The specifics of Colin and Ray’s relationship are very strict. Ray takes care of Colin sexually (but on his terms), and Colin handles the cooking, the cleaning, stands in the corner for dinner, and sleeps on the floor when it’s time to go to bed. He is completely, and happily, at first, subsumed by Ray’s lifestyle. He buzzes his curly hair short and starts dressing like a biker. There’s a noticeable lack of intimacy in their relationship – Ray doesn’t kiss, or cuddle – but Colin doesn’t seem to mind. For the first time in his life, desires that he’s never really vocalized are being met.
Ray’s aloofness towards Colin wouldn’t read very well if Melling and Skarsgård didn’t pitch their performances so perfectly. Skarsgård is so often cast as – pardon my French – a dang ass freak (and Ray still is, in a lot of ways), or a rich asshole so sharply handsome that he comes off as more shark than man. But in “Pillion,” the camera treats him as the incredibly alluring person he is. When Collin first sees Ray at a bar, his face is kept hidden from us for quite some time, Colin only noticing his bulk and size. He finally comes into focus just over Colin’s shoulder, the camera slowly pushing on him, giving him the matinee idol, “look at how hot this guy is,” type of treatment.
Melling delivers a, frankly, adorable performance as Colin, equally surefooted and hesitant, eager to please and moon-eyed over Ray in a way that sets him up for hurt. But, as hardened as Ray seems to be to Colin’s charms, Skarsgård lets some softness cut through every now and again, looking at Colin with a mix of incredulity and affection that pierces your heart.
This is Colin’s first crack at this type of relationship, and he’s thrown into the deep end in a way that can be as exhilarating as it is dangerous – for as open as “Pillion” is to this particular subculture, it never loses sight of that truth. As Colin is exposed to other relationships within the biker gang (some couples even kiss – imagine that!), he – like so many romance protagonists before him – begins to wonder if he can have both the sweetness and the kinky bits all rolled into one. But Ray is adamantly opposed, even to the idea of just one day off a week. The tension between Colin and Ray, then, starts to mirror the growing pressure from Colin’s family as their hackles rise about what, exactly, their son has gotten himself into.
There is clearly something deeper going on with Ray, something that Skarsgård allows us only hints of. To its credit, this movie is not really interested in mining Ray’s past traumas to find out why he can’t stomach the type of intimacy that Colin wants. “Pillion” is far more focused on Colin himself, zeroing in on his journey to discover not just what he likes, but what he needs – and how to take back some power for himself.
“Pillion” is now playing in theaters.