'Pillion' Review: The Perfect Mix Of Sexiness, Humour And Emotions

Tackling the subject of BDSM in a feature always comes with the necessary challenges and risks, as the topic might still have a negative connotation in people's minds. However, that didn't stop first-time filmmaker and writer Harry Lighton from delving deep (no pun intended) into the world of whips, sex toys, and somewhat revealing outfits. This adaptation of Adam Mars-Jone's novel Box Hill is as steamy as you would expect but also much more emotionally intimate, human and touching.
Don't expect a lot of conversations in this art-house psychological drama thought. Lighton didn't come here to play (or did he?) with words. Instead, he let cinematographer Nick Morris ( Sweetpea , Halcyon Heights ) and his sleek visuals do the necessary and enlightening talking in Pillion . To pull of a feature about BDSM and a darker sexual world that many of us aren't familiar with, you need two different leads who emotionally and psychically couldn't be further apart from each other. Placing two subs or two doms in front of each other wouldn't have resulted in the randy movie we're now getting. Kudos to casting director Kahleen Crawford ( I, Daniel Blake , Living ) and her team, as they found the right people for the roles.
The submissive one present in this feature is Harry Melling, who has undoubtedly left his days behind as the insufferable brat Dudley Dursley in the 'Harry Potter' franchise. After getting a glimpse of his incredible acting talent in The Pale Blue Eye , it's great to see him in a much more complex, vulnerable, and meaty role as Colin, the awkward traffic warden. Colin still lives at home, is part of the local a-cappella group and is boyfriendless. He couldn't be further apart from Ray (Alexander Skarsgård), who he meets during a date night.
While Ray wasn't Colin's blind date, when the tall, godlike Nordic man dressed in a complete leather riding suit steps into the bar, Colin has eyes for him only. Wouldn't you? Skarsgård certainly understood the assignment as the charismatic gay biker as he brings the right amount of dominance, fearlessness, kink and sexual tensions to this feature. You would think that after seeing Ray so comfortably taking off his clothes like no one's watching, Skarsgård's acting would be very superficial and physical. However, in even a film like this, the Murderbot and Lee actor delivers a more subtle and touching acting.
From the moment these two total opposites meet, you'll be sucked into their troubled, tense-packed and steamy relationship (or arrangement). While at first, Colin certainly wears his heart on his sleeve as the sweet, shy boy who has nothing to hide from his parents (Douglas Hodge and Lesley Sharp), when he's willingly dragged into that dark alley, and later into the world of sex games, he lives a much more sinister and sheltered life. This results in a multidimensional performance by Melling, who becomes better and better with every scene that passes by.
A lot is going on behind his eyes, secrets that he doesn't want to share with his colleagues or his parents. To them, Ray is just the loving yet bad-ass boyfriend. Melling's character soon unleashed the sub in himself with a thrilling curiosity and the necessary restraint. While for others, having to lick someone else's boots, sleep on the floor, cook all the time, stand up silently while eating and be mentally and psychically controlled would be enough to break the arrangement, Colin willingly goes along with everything. This is because this young gay man finally gets the chance to explore his sexuality, and what an exploration it is!
The fetish community is soon embracing him and he even becomes close with both subs and doms as he's slowly but steadily finding his own identity. The better Colin feels in his skin, the more the dynamic between the characters shifts. Colin becomes much more confident and even tries to break free from the rules Ray has set for them. He used to fear that one wrong move would end their fiery agreement, but now he's becoming more vocal. He dares to share his feelings and wants to introduce Ray to his supportive parents, even more so because his mum wants to see her son happy before dying of cancer. But what happens when love and hope for a more traditional gay relationship appear right when a dynamic shift occurs?
That's when Pillion truly becomes what Fifty Shades of Grey aspired to be. There's still a lot of wild fantasy, dark imagination and even bigger playthings, but the emotional level also increases immensely during the second part. The movie never loses its human connection and never becomes just about sex. For Colin, just having a sexual relationship isn't enough, while the dominating Ray has never seen himself as someone who would be cut out for a genuine relationship. However, even the most cold-hearted people aren't immune to the love from others.
It wouldn't be a successful edition of Cannes if there weren't a scandalous film that would have the whole La Croisette talking. Last year, that certainly were The Substance and Anora, and look at the immense journey the films have made since they premiered. While an Academy Award won't be on the cards for Pillion , let's hope that this erotic push-and-pull game will reach as many people as possible, as it offers the perfect mix of sexiness, humour, and emotions.
Pillion premiered at the Cannes Film Festival courtesy of A24

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