Film Review – Pillion

February 20th, 2026 | POSTED BY Sarah Ksiazek

Pillion (2025) strives to be another A24 hit, thrust forth into the moviegoers’ consciousness by another stellar marketing campaign.  Based on the novel Box Hill by Adam Mars-Jones, screenwriter and director Harry Lighton knew exactly what this story could be and struck gold with the casting.  From the outside, the film appears to be about an average guy who somehow struck gold in the boyfriend department, the envy of many.  What lies beneath is the struggle to understand the relationship and what a person is willing to give up to be with someone they love.

Colin (Harry Melling) is a socially awkward Englishman who spends his weekends with his dad and brother singing in a barbershop quartet.  On one such night, singing in a pub, Colin runs into Ray (Alexander Skarsgård), a handsome American biker, hanging out with his biker crew, who make for a strange sight, some with interesting garb and piercings.  Somehow, Ray has taken a liking to Colin and hit on him in a manner of speaking.  Their first meetup is a hookup of sorts—Colin is utterly enamored with this man, pretty much going along with anything he suggests, which gives Ray an insight into what he can make Colin do.  What ensues is a dominant-subordinate relationship with hard lines that few people could keep. Still, Colin is special and has an “aptitude for devotion,” as he puts it, that makes him moldable clay in Ray’s hands. 

The film has light-hearted moments and an underlying comedic tone, relying mostly on Colin’s naiveté.  Colin can also act as a mirror for the uneducated viewer.  The introduction to Ray’s lifestyle and what he expects from Colin is delivered in a matter-of-fact, deadpan manner, leaving little room for argument or explanation. The comedy comes from the situation and the utter gall of Ray to expect anyone to kowtow to his expectations.  Still utterly stunned by this David-like figure that has taken a liking to him, Colin is the epitome of just going with it and figuring it out as he goes.

Colin has a supportive family, even a mum (Lesley Sharp) who tries to fix him up with potential boyfriends.  When the parents want to meet the boyfriend, Ray relents to going but rubs Colin’s protective mum the wrong way.  His dad (Douglas Hodge) is unrelenting in being there for his son when he is needed.  It is an anomaly in this type of film to have such unconditional support as a son is trying to find love in the world, albeit in an unconventional way. 

Colin is an inexperienced man in love.  He jumps all the way into his first relationship, never outright questioning if this type of relationship is for him.  Being that so many firsts are with Ray, there is no way for Colin to compare it to other, more “normal” relationships.  He simply does what he is told to do.  He finds acceptance in this new community, friends he’s never had before.  After learning more about other dominant-subordinate relationships in their circle of friends, Colin begins to want more and pushes the subordinate’s boundaries.  He hopes to get something in return for his efforts beyond what Ray already gives him, which isn’t much.  Colin finds his voice in the relationship, and the cracks begin to appear. It has minor comparisons to Fifty Shades of Grey (2015) (sorry) in how giving into something that is unlike oneself in a relationship can also make a person stronger, helping them know who they are and what they are willing to lose or gain in a relationship. 

Pillion may come off as a gay romance with a hot leading man in how it is promoted, a so-called “dom-com.” It is bound to ruffle some feathers among those who think this will be a cute, sexy film. What it has is graphic sex scenes and a gratuitous use of latex in costumes, but at its heart, it is about Colin finding himself and his worth through a complex, yet one-sided relationship.  While Colin evolves as a person, Ray does not.  Ray hides in this type of relationship because it is easier to keep rules and demands that protect him from feeling anything, and still get sexual satisfaction at the same time.  Both Harry Melling and Alexander Skarsgård should be applauded for their depiction of Colin and Ray, depicting vulnerability so well at different times in their characters’ story arc.  While it may not be everyone’s cup of tea, Pillion brings forth an examination of a relationship where love isn’t supposed to factor in, but it somehow finds a way. 

Adam Mars-Jones, Alexander Skarsgård, Douglas Hodge, Fifty Shades of Grey, Harry Lighton, Harry Melling, Lesley Sharp, Pillion