By John Corrado
In Pillion, British writer-director Harry Lighton delivers a queer romantic dramedy with a BDSM twist, exploring a dominant-submissive relationship in a way that is open and honest.
Colin (Harry Melling) is a shy young man in London who lives with his aging mum (Lesley Sharp) and dad (Douglas Hodge). He works issuing tickets in a parking garage, and sings with a barbershop quartet that performs at the local pub.
It’s here that he first encounters Ray (Alexander Skarsgård), the leather-clad biker who comes into the pub one night with a group of motorcyclists, and slips him his number at the bar. This leads to a Christmas Day hookup that blossoms into a dominant-submissive dynamic between them.
Ray doesn’t say much, but quietly lets Colin know his place in this unconventional relationship. Ray sets the rules from their first night together when he invites Colin to his home. Colin is ordered to cook him dinner. If he’s quiet, he gets to sleep on the rug at the foot of Ray’s bed. If not, he sleeps in the hallway. Soon, Colin’s mop of hair is traded for a shaved head, and a chain with a padlock around his neck. Ray wears the key around his own.
Melling’s Colin is timid and shy. Despite his stated “aptitude for devotion,” we get the sense that he maybe wants to be desired more than dominated. Skarsgård’s Ray is a cypher; cold but alluring, his chiselled good looks making everyone understand why Colin wants to be with him, even if they see the apparent red flags.
There are so many directions that Lighton’s film, which was adapted from a novel by Adam Mars-Jones, could have taken in exploring this dom-sub relationship, which admittedly won’t be everyone’s cup of tea. But Pillion is surprisingly thoughtful and even tender at times, largely eschewing a sense of exploitation (though we do also get suitably graphic sex scenes and wrestling in leather onesies). The most satisfying part is watching Colin discover his own boundaries and emotional needs, in many ways making this feel like a delayed coming-of-age movie, and adding an extra layer of nuance to it.
It’s also a highly impressive feature directorial debut from Lighton, who crafts a first film that feels supremely confident in its staging and structure. The film works thanks to the excellent work of both Melling and Skarsgård, who perfectly encapsulate and add layers of unspoken depth to these two very different characters. Their compelling performances are what make Pillion so interesting and involving to watch.
The Joy of Movies 