‘PILLION’ REVIEW: HARRY LIGHTON’S TOUCHING DOM-COM DEBUT
words by SONNY NGO
In Harry Lighton’s impressive directorial feature debut Pillion, Alexander Skarsgård’s smouldering hot, leather-clad Ray slips a note to Harry Melling’s timid Colin. On Christmas day, they meet in one of London’s dark alleyways where Colin gets on his knees to please the imposing, and thus far tight-lipped, Ray. It’s the beginning of an unconventional, kinky dominant-submissive relationship, where both of them discover more about their own and each other's needs, wants, and selves. Supported by Lighton’s high-spirited direction, the film unfolds as an earnest and utterly erotic dom-com.
image via iffr.com
Adapted from the 2020 novel Box Hill by Adam Mars-Jones, we first meet the sweet and awkward Colin at a local pub where he sings in a barbershop quartet. His parents Pete and Peggy, portrayed by the ever charming Douglas Hodge and Lesley Sharp, are there to support him – and to keep a watchful eye on his blind date, set up by his overbearing, terminally-ill mother. His date is nice and kind, but Colin’s eyes linger towards the group of confident bikers playing darts in the corner. Ray is one of them: a marbelesque, expressionless, and oh-so handsome viking. Colin is drawn to him (sorry original date) and a short exchange at the bar has him totally awestruck. Soon after their first sexual rendezvous – which really is just a one-sided act of fellatio – Colin starts frequenting Ray’s place down in Chislehurst. But the dates are not quite what he expects: he is there to cook and clean, do the weekly groceries, and sleep on the floor. Oddly enough, he doesn’t seem to mind.
Mars-Jones’ novel has much darker character arcs than what Lighton shows in Pillion. The writer-director has relieved some of the tensions here by inserting funny, at times cringeworthy, lines, as well as veering off course from some of the heavier plot points of its original source material. It gives the film more room to breathe and lean into its comedic elements. Moreover, the chemistry between Skarsgård and Melling is admirable: they seem to have an intense grip and understanding of the intimacies and power dynamics at play. Skarsgård totally embodies Ray, threading from his heated impenetrability to caring personality with surgical precision. And Melling is a real standout, offering a vulnerable and determined Colin who, according to Ray, has an “aptitude for devotion.”
image via iffr.com
To outsiders, Colin’s relationship with Ray is complicated by rules that may seem unusual to most. Peggy too has a hard time comprehending them and finds it troublesome that her affectionate son is spending so much time with someone who, frankly, doesn’t seem interested in him at all. As far as she’s considered, Ray could be an abuser or lawbreaker, never mind a total stranger! Why can’t Colin initiate a kiss? Why don’t they go out on “actual” dates? And why doesn’t Ray share anything about his own life? Does he have a criminal track record or is he simply emotionally repressed? During a one-of-a-kind Sunday family dinner, Peggy confronts them about it, but the conversation quickly ends with Ray’s response: “It’s not for you to like.”
Pillion addresses many facets of BDSM subculture, such as the way rules are set in place between a dominant and their submissive. But it doesn’t always explain them to its audience. To many viewers, the explicit scenes will be too much; they will be considered too raunchy, too uncomfortable, too provocative, or plainly, too extreme to one’s liking. That might exactly be the point of Ray’s response to Peggy – the film might just not be for you, but that doesn’t take away any of its validity, appeal, or allure for the people it does attract.
At the end of the day, the film is a proper, perhaps unconventional, romantic love story. And like all first loves (and heartbreaks), there will inevitably be moments where you crash and burn. Sometimes it’s a bumpy rock on the road, other times the relationship just doesn’t work, but for whatever reason it may be, you will undoubtedly part ways with newfound discoveries of yourself. Colin too comes to the realisation that devotion without understanding your own boundaries can only take you so far. After all, the film’s title refers to the passenger seat behind a motorcyclist – a pillion – and how you can be a backseat rider in someone else’s life. Lighton’s incredible debut is an important reminder that you can get off of that seat at any point in time and decide to ride your own bike.
Pillion had its premiere at last year’s Cannes Film Festival and will release in Dutch cinemas starting March 26th.