Culture
Now Playing: ‘Pillion’ is an effective romance wrapped in leather
By: Gordon Briggs
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Usually, BDSM is portrayed in movies as something dark, violent, and ‘kinky’.
I go back to films like 50 Shades of Grey with its torrid office affair, or that infamous basement encounter in Pulp Fiction. The choice in those films turns audiences into prurient sexual voyeurs.
Thankfully, Pillion is a film that goes in a different, more nuanced direction.
Rather than making this story into something dark and disturbing, the filmmakers bring genuine touches of humor and levity to scenes of bondage, leather, and domination.
The result is something different, a “Dom Com.”
We follow Colin, a timid young parking attendant who falls for Ray, a mysterious, confident biker gang leader. Ray initiates Colin into a submissive and domineering gay relationship. As their Dom (dominant)/ Sub (submissive) dynamic unfolds, Colin develops complicated feelings that may threaten the delicate power balance between them.
Rather than going for something dark, the film, under Harry Lighton’s direction, adds odd touches of humor and levity to this queer coming-of-age story. The movie has many funny, heartfelt moments that anyone can relate to.
For example, the scene where Colin introduces his mysterious biker boyfriend to his parents stands out. In a different film, Colin and Ray’s relationship would be kept secret, but here, Colin’s dad is actually cool with it. There are more funny moments when Ray joins Colin’s family for dinner.
The film’s marketing emphasizes sex, and viewers should know it is frank about gay Sub/dom relationships. The story highlights the often brutal dynamics of a gay motorcycle subculture. Sex scenes between the leads aren’t just physical; they replace verbal communication, with intimacy serving as dialogue.
While Skarsgård certainly has a presence as the mysterious leather-bound stranger who makes his sub sleep on the floor (The movie withholds information about him the way he withholds affection from his sub), the character I liked the most was Colin, played effectively by Harry Melling. So much of this movie hinges on close-ups of Colin’s face and the comedic, almost giddy devotion he has for his boyfriend.
Naturally, some audiences won’t go anywhere near this movie. If you’re hesitant, just think of it as a leather-bound comedy drama, or as the story of a submissive man who goes from being a passenger in his life to literally being in the driver’s seat. ★★★½