We all know the rom-com formula; two lonely hearts convinced that love isn’t on the table suddenly fall into it headfirst. At first it’s all butterflies and late-night phone calls as they are riding the high of young love. But soon enough, the pair eventually fall into a state of routine and boredom where their love begins to lose its sparks. Then tragedy strikes, which drives them apart and forces them to take a hard look at what they really want. By the final act, they find their way back to each other and it all ends with a beautiful wedding where there is much joy and merriment. It’s a tired and true formula that women and gays have been flocking to for well over a decade. But have you ever heard of the naughtier, romantic subgenre called the “dom-com”? If you are curious, Pillion might fulfill your sexual curiosity as it is utterly irresistible.
We follow Colin (Harry Melling), an introverted gay man living with his parents who works menial jobs and sings in a barbershop quartet. After a performance in his local pub, he meets Ray (Alexander Skarsgard), an incredibly handsome member of a local biker gang who gives him his number on a note. Eventually the pair hookup on Christmas Day, but it is not your typical hookup as it was an initiation of a strict BDSM relationship. Colin agrees to this relationship and we follow this couple through their unusual romance.
BDSM relationships are heavily stigmatized and looked down upon as physical, sexual and emotional abuse is common. These toxic traits are especially common in domination/submissive relationships, where one partner serves the other unconditionally where sex is a reward for their devotion. Pillion takes this taboo kink and destigmatizes it with honesty and care, peeling back the layers of the kink to reveal something unexpectedly tender.
Ray knows what he wants, someone who is entirely devoted to fulfilling his every command. While Colin on the other hand doesn’t know as he has never really explored his sexuality and desires. Through his relationship with Ray, Colin begins to discover what pleasure, power, and consent means to him. He agrees to every term willingly, such as cooking, cleaning, shopping, and sleeping on the floor. He finds community and harmony with Ray and his fellow bikers, all of whom share the same kink. For the first time in what I would assume to be a long time, he is happy, fulfilled, and accepted.
However, this relationship is not all sunshine and rainbows. Pillion is fully aware that the relationship between Ray and Colin is not the healthiest as Ray doesn’t want to turn his domination kink off. When Colin asks Ray for a simple favor, such as having dinner with his parents, Ray immediately shuts it down and twists the conversation until Colin feels guilty for even wanting it. When Colin is grieving over the death of a loved one, Ray doesn’t show him any kindness or sympathy to help Colin navigate his grief. Ray sits on the couch and expects Colin to cook, clean and sleep on the floor despite being in pain. Even when Colin asks for one day off, as he wants one day where they have a “normal” relationship, Ray continues to shut it down. Ray might be drop-dead-gorgeous, but the film refuses to let that charm excuse his control. That is what makes Pillion so refreshing, it doesn’t romanticize the power dynamics. It shows the intoxicating highs and the uncomfortable lows. Its honesty is what makes it work as it is unafraid to show that even the most passionate connections can curdle under the weight of imbalance.
Another reason for Pillion’s success is because of the performances from Harry Melling and Alexander Skarsgard. Both of them deliver incredibly raw, emotionally, sexually, and physically vulnerable performances. With just a stare you feel the fiery aroma of their chemistry that is both filled with tender love and a dangerous devotion. Their strange yet combustible energy between them gives Pillion its pulse, its heat, and its undeniable sex appeal.
In the end, Pillion is a surprisingly tender and deeply human story wrapped in leather and desire. It’s a film that seduces you, then disarms you with its sincerity. Beneath the whips, the chains, and the roaring engine of a motorbike, lies a surprisingly gentle heartbeat about two men trying to understand what love looks like when control and vulnerability are intertwined. Pillion is funny, sexy and unexpectedly moving, a sure crowd-pleaser that will have the gays swooning, women screaming, and a handful of straight men captured by its romance.
My Rating: A-
Coming to theaters February 2026
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