Learning the Rules of Love in 'Pillion'

Hero Image

Title

Learning the Rules of Love in Pillion

Subhead

By Ben Elliott

Body Block 1

Have mainstream movies finally come to terms with BDSM?

Long used to fuel lurid European sexploitation dramas like The Story of O and The Night Porter and American erotic thrillers like 9½ Weeks and Fifty Shades of Grey, the last few years have seen films like Babygirl and The Feeling That the Time for Doing Something Has Passed incorporate the subculture into stories about people trying to regain a sense of control amid modern malaise.

Pillion, 2026

This progression continues in director Harry Lighton’s Pillion, a new romantic comedy playing at The Triplex this weekend. We barely get to know Harry Melling’s directionless Colin before he’s swept onto his knees by the mysterious biker Ray (Alexander Skarsgård, using every ounce of his otherworldly magnetism to full effect) after they meet in a pub on Christmas Eve. It’s not the romance Colin dreamed of though, as Ray immediately has him doing chores and sleeping at the foot of his bed.

Pillion, 2026

Ray’s commitment to being a dom means he never deigns to explain the situation to Colin, and the challenge of not only obeying the rules but deciphering them in the first place gives Colin the sense of purpose he’s been searching for. It’s a relationship that brings him to a place where he discovers what he wants as a sub — and that Ray might not be the person to give it to him.

Outside of the occasional admiration for how good Skarsgård looks in his riding outfit, there’s no othering gaze to sensationalize BDSM in Pillion. It’s simply a way of life here, one that gives Colin the opportunity to actualize his true self — and to experience the heartbreak that occurs when we need different things than the people we love.

Showtimes

Showtimes Project Hail Mary | 1:00PM, 4:15PM, 7:45PM Sirat | 1:30PM, 8:00PM Hoppers | 1:45PM, 4:30PM, 7:30PM Pillion | 5:00PM

Marketing Signup

Footer