'Pillion' Review
- Lara Kretler
- Feb 25
- 2 min read
Release Date: 02/27/26 [Cinemas]
Genre: Comedy. Drama. Romance.
MPAA: Unrated.
Distributor: A24.
The Verdict: A Must-See
Pillion is a heartwarming - and heartbreaking - gay romance dressed up as a BDSM biker flick. It is also a vehicle that showcases the extraordinarily luminous acting talents of Harry Melling, formerly known by many of us as the awful Dudley Dursley in the Harry Potter films.
Melling more than holds his own against Alexander Skarsgård, who is stunning as usual but nonetheless easy to hate in his role as biker dom Ray. Where Ray comes across as cold or heartless in most scenes, Melling’s Colin is warm, devoted and utterly lovable throughout Pillion.
We first meet Colin when he is performing in a barbershop quartet at a pub and being set up on a blind date by his mom. He appears to be going through the motions of his life, not truly excited or enthused by anyone or anything. That is, until he falls for the inimitably handsome biker Ray and stumbles into a BDSM relationship as Ray’s submissive or slave.
What I love about Pillion is that it’s not trying to shock or make any kind of statement about BDSM or dominant/submissive relationships; those are merely the backdrop against which this love story takes shape.
There are a few scenes that may be shocking to “vanilla” audiences - particularly one BDSM biker campout where the bikers and their pillions/submissives get pretty wild out in nature - but if one views Pillion with honest curiosity about a subculture of the gay community, there is lots here to admire and appreciate.
One scene in particular, in which we hear Colin in voiceover reading a love poem he has written to Ray, brought me to tears.
Colin is described by Ray as having an “aptitude for devotion” and that comes across loud and clear in his actions and big, expressive eyes. Ray, on the other hand, is the biker dom we love to hate despite his outrageously handsome looks.
Pillion is skillfully filmed and includes several touching moments outside of Colin and Ray’s relationship; scenes between Colin’s father and mother, who has late-stage cancer, are especially poignant.
Pillion blends humor, drama and human interest into a fast-moving romance that may not end the way we hope it will, but nonetheless delivers a satisfying conclusion that is happy in its own way.
See Pillion with a date or open-minded friends, or watch it on your own - but maybe don’t watch this one with either your parents or your kids. You can thank me later.
