Alexander Skarsgard stuns as mysterious silver fox biker Ray, whose age, job, and even surname we never learn. Harry Melling’s Colin is whisked off his feet by this man of few words but many demands, none of which seems to phase Colin. Skarsgard says so little, in fact, that we don't hear him speak until Melling is already on his knees in the back alley of a high-street Primark: a uniquely British story.
Queer romance often falls into certain unpleasant tropes like abuse, shame, and bullying...
Its hard to explain just why this film is incredible without poring over details of their relationship, and even that term is up for debate - but I implore you to watch it. Adapted from the 2020 book Box Hill by Adam Mars-Jones, this BDSM biker romance is like nothing you’ve seen before. Queer romance often falls into certain unpleasant tropes like abuse, shame, and bullying, especially when dealing with alternative communities, but Pillion strays far from it.
Acted and promoted largely in collaboration with a real community of gay Welsh bikers, the authenticity in the film is tangible. While there runs a thread throughout the film between Melling’s submissive role, and what he truly wants out of a relationship, we see Skarsgard open up emotionally, and uncover to more vanilla audiences the true nuance and love behind a relationship, which on the surface may seem abusive.
Pillion’s promotion labels itself a dom-com, and as clever and fitting as that may be, I feel it’s more truly a coming-of-age story for our protagonist. The cinematography is beautiful and nostalgic throughout, with Christmas scenes reminiscent of The Perks of Being a Wallflower, and those endless British summers echoed in shows like Detectorists. This film has character, humour, and a whole lot of scenes you would never want to watch with your parents, but at its core it’s an emotional and deeply moving tale of self discovery and belonging.