‘Pillion’ Review: Alexander Skarsgård Gets the Role of a Lifetime in A24’s Beautiful, Kinky Romance
There are two questions you’ll probably ask while watching Harry Lighton’s “Pillion,” a queer, sexually-explicit sub-dom romance starring Harry Melling as a seemingly milquetoast suburbanite and Alexander Skarsgård as his hunky biker boyfriend.
To answer your first question, a “pillion” is British slang for a motorcycle seat that’s built for a passenger, so that’s a metaphor for their love. To answer your second, yes, this movie is indeed kinky as hell and also extremely romantic. That’s not a combo a lot of movies go for nowadays, let alone pull off this beautifully, and that makes “Pillion” something of a miracle.
Melling plays Colin, a young man who gives out parking tickets for a living and sings in a barbershop quartet with his dad. So a lot of people probably wouldn’t consider him a catch, no matter how dashing he is. He’s awkward and inexperienced in the ways of sex and love, but he’s quickly clocked by a local biker, Ray (Skarsgård). He’s a laconic Dom who recognizes Colin’s “aptitude for devotion.” Their first date is entirely sexual, oral sex in a public alleyway and their second is unexpectedly domestic, in that Ray expects Colin to cook for him, never talk, and sleep at the foot of his bed.
These might, in some relationships, qualify as red flags. But Ray and Colin settle quickly and consensually into their sub-dom arrangement, where Colin wears a lock around his neck, Ray wears the key, and their roles are strictly codified. Over time Colin becomes a part of Ray’s daily routine and then his biker gang, consisting of friendly full-time kinksters whose subs make themselves sexually available in the middle of their road trips. They only share notes about their relationships when the doms aren’t looking, like housewives of yore.
Not everybody could handle Ray, Colin discovers, and not just because Ray is exceptionally well-endowed. Ray doesn’t take breaks from his BDSM lifestyle. He doesn’t even kiss. That’s not to say Ray never expresses affection, he just expresses it on his own terms, and that’s enough for Colin. Maybe not his mother, who doesn’t understand their relationship and judges Ray for it, but as Ray points out — rudely, but accurately — their romantic dynamic is for them, not her, and she doesn’t have to understand something in order to accept it. She just has to know her son is happy.
A film like “Pillion” will probably preach to a lot of choirs. It’s a queer, pro-kink romance, so queer, pro-kink audiences are probably its target demo. For anyone outside that circle, writer/director Harry Lighton goes out of his way not to explain it all. He drops you into this world and organically addresses confusions or concerns if it’s relevant to the characters, whether the audience understands the nuts and bolts or not.
It may not necessarily be clear, to the outsider, just how into subbing our young naive hero actually is, and you could be forgiven for thinking he’s uncomfortable at first. But he doesn’t have to prove he’s comfortable for you, he just has to be who he is, and over time it’s abundantly clear that this is indeed the lifestyle he wants. Mostly.
It’s very difficult for films about kink to express how sexy kink is, while also balancing how responsible and communicative the consensual lovers have to be. “Fifty Shades of Grey” notoriously whiffs it on most fronts, which is a tragedy since it’s one of the most popular mainstream portrayals of kink. The Korean rom-com “Love and Leashes” does a more admirable job, and illustrates the complexities of BDSM relationships with intelligence, humor and love. “Pillion” is having a more complex conversation, in which kink is accepted and defended, even venerated, while still acknowledging that a partner’s needs and boundaries can evolve over time.
Colin is new to this, and as much as he loves Ray, and as much as he loves being a sub, it’s possible he didn’t luck into the perfect relationship his first time out. It’s possible that Colin and Ray aren’t perfect for each other, no matter how much they mean to each other, and that “Pillion” could turn out to be a love story for the ages or a coming-of-age learning experience. Or, likely, both. Even a rigidly defined relationship can get a little hazy after a while.
Melling is a wonderfully complicated actor. His full range of emotion always shines through, especially when he’s hiding it. That’s a rare gift, and Colin is a perfect vessel for his sensitive talents. Skarsgård plays a more inscrutable man. It’s possible he knows himself very well, including exactly what he wants from a partner, and has achieved a sense of genuine, slightly grumpy zen. It’s also possible he’s shutting himself off from more possibilities, and Skarsgård explores these possibilities, while coming to complex conclusions about Ray’s identity. These are beautiful performances, within a framework that’s erotic and thoughtful. Every second of their relationship is a revelation, for the lovers and the audience.
Lighton films “Pillion” with incredible intimacy. He’s got a fine eye for detail and, possibly, an even finer ear. The sound of hands on leather, the wetness of lovemaking, he conducts all the noises of “Pillion” into a rich, symphonic experience. You can’t get much closer to another couple’s romantic relationship than this, at least in the cinema. These men are so near to us that we can practically touch them, and as such, whether your sexual identities are similar or the total opposite, you yearn to understand their desires and feelings. Their relationship is not, strictly speaking, on display for your approval, and they’ll love each other whether you “get it” or not. But if you have the capacity to get it, “Pillion” will take you to beautiful, sensual places.
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