Released: 19th February
Seen: 13th May
In November of last year, a phenomenon was released. Heated Rivalry was one of those things that probably shouldn’t have been a hit, an explicit gay romance story about two hockey players is the kind of thing that would normally end up being a big deal in the LGBTQIA+ community but wouldn’t really be a huge thing outside it so for this little show to become one of the biggest pop culture moments ever is stunning. The last time something this pointedly sexual got to be so mainstream was when 50 Shades Of Grey introduced suburban housewives to the world of BDSM (albeit doing it badly, according to people in the BDSM community). Of course, there are still works being made that play in the BDSM and queer worlds that don’t get mainstream coverage, such as the film Pillion which is probably a little too much for the mainstream, but it’s still quite spectacular in itself.
Pillion follows a shy young man named Colin (Harry Melling), an awkward boy who performs in a barbershop quartet and makes a living working in a parking garage while living with his family. One could say he lives quite a dull life that gets opened up when he meets Ray (Alexander Skarsgård), a biker who is almost the textbook definition of a dominant. After a brief hookup, Colin moves in with Ray and the two begin a dom-sub relationship where Colin’s limits are tested, his emotions pushed to the brink and a strange romance that can never truly be is formed between the two men, a romance that anyone can tell is doomed but that doesn’t mean it’s not worth trying.
Pillion is a hard film to really describe, and not just because of how pointedly sexual it can be. It’s the kind of film that doesn’t feel the need to explain itself, it exists and everyone watching it needs to be ready to do the work to keep up with it. This isn’t the kind of film that will introduce a kink and explain it in detail, it makes the dynamics clear without having to spell them out because it trusts the audience is going to follow along even if they aren’t a part of the lifestyle depicted. At no point did I feel lost, there wasn’t really any moment of “Why would someone enjoy this?” because you can see everyone involved clearly enjoying it and the film shows what they get out of everything that’s being done. It’s not subtle by any means (little hard to be subtle when you have someone bring up needing a butt plug because they’re too tight, a moment they literally put in some of the trailers), but it doesn’t spell everything out.
By being so pointed and blunt, Pillion allows the kinky stuff to almost be window dressing that backgrounds this unique relationship between a boy who wants to show love in his own special way and someone who is seemingly incapable of it, even scared by the notion. There’s a real fascinating dynamic there that only grows more interesting the more you dive in. Seeing Colin awkwardly adjusting to being a submissive is fascinating, learning about what his limitations are and what he actually needs to feel fulfilled makes for an interesting experience. Watching Colin realise he needs to have a break from the lifestyle even though he enjoys it makes for an interesting contrast with Ray, who seemingly wants to live in this lifestyle 24/7 and slowly opens up to Colin in ways that seem like a surprise, even to Ray. That push and pull between them is what elevates the film, giving it real dynamic tension that never gets old.
Helping Pillion work is the fact that the two leads have some incredible chemistry, one that’s truly unique in the romance genre. It grows slowly throughout, you can feel them growing closer and closer as the film goes on. Their scenes engaging in each other physically feel different to the moments of actual intimacy, you can feel every shift in their relationship and it makes you want them to make this work somehow. You can completely understand what Colin sees in Ray and you can see how Ray could be slowly charmed by Colin, their dynamic just works and it’s largely because both actors really seem to trust each other with the material. Melling is particularly great here in creating this awkward guy who isn’t sure what he likes and growing more and more confident as the film goes on. Meanwhile, this might be some of the best work that Skarsgård has ever done, and that man is always good at playing brooding, sexy mystery men who you probably shouldn’t fall for. Together, they’re electrifying no matter what they’re doing, from kinky picnic table stuff to just goofing about at the cinema, the two of them just create this strange but believable relationship that carries the whole film.
Perhaps the biggest shock of Pillion is learning that it’s the feature film debut of Writer/Director Harry Lighton, because nothing about this film feels like a debut. This is someone who directed with incredible confidence and understanding of the subject matter, who understood just how far to push things and how to keep everything interesting both visually and narratively. It’s genuinely great to see someone making a film like this with such fearlessness; nothing felt like it was dumbed down for the masses, but it somehow feels accessible enough that you can easily follow along with what’s going on. It’s an incredible balancing act, so many elements here that could go so spectacularly wrong and the writer/director manages to pull them all together to create one of the most unique rom-coms you’ll ever see.
Pillion is not your average rom-com, it’s kinky and queer and unapologetic and does everything with an incredible amount of pure confidence. Its charm and wit is unmatched, it just nails everything it’s trying to be and if that’s not your cup of tea, that’s fine. It’s the kind of story we don’t really get to see that often and it’s told expertly. Visually stunning and bold as hell, Pillion proves that you can actually make something high-quality out of kinky material.
Movie Meister Reviews 