Pillion is the Dom Rom Com of the year, and it’s got everyone talking. It just scooped three awards at the British Independent Screen Awards, including Best British Film and Best Screenplay, and it won the Un Certain Regard Best Screenplay Award at Cannes.
Written and directed by Harry Lighton in a wonderful debut, Pillion amuses and titillates with its racy scenes of domination and submission, which, contrasted with gorgeously gauche depictions of Colin’s hometown (Bromley) and home life, make for comedy gold. But comedy and kink aside, there’s a warmth and heart to this film that elevates it above and beyond mainstream comedy.
Adapted from the novel Box Hill by Adam Mars‑Jones, Pillion tells the story of Colin (Harry Melling), a shy, awkward young man whose life is upended and transformed by his meeting with the more worldly and mysterious Ray (Alexander Skarsgård).
Colin, adorned in an ever-so-cute boater hat and pinstripe suit (the film also won Best Costumes at the BISAs), performs in a barbershop quartet at the local pub with his dear old dad. Here he encounters the impossibly handsome, enigmatic Ray, and the next evening finds himself engaging in an entirely different kind of performance down a dark Bromley alleyway.
From there, he embarks on an edgy relationship with the Nordic Ray, in which he finds himself welcomed into a clan of hilariously kinky gay bikers (the costume designers clearly had a field day) and has his boundaries and orifices pushed in all kinds of directions.
In the absence of any conversations between the couple about safe words and consent, we’re left to question how healthy this relationship is for Colin’s self-esteem. But he’s clearly enjoying the ride (pun fully intended) and all in for a good time.
Douglas Hodge and Lesley Sharp put in lovely performances as Colin’s parents, Pete and Peggy. Sophisticated writing by Lighton positions them as enlightened, gay‑positive parents who attempt to help Colin find a nice man to date and only want the best for their beloved son.
There’s a key scene where Peggy confronts Ray about the way he treats her son, which rings with a lovely authenticity. When Ray tries to dismiss her pointed barbs, she cuts through his smugness with a beautifully placed “And you’re a c**t.” It slices him down to size, reasserts her authority in her own home and brings the house down in the process.
Alexander Skarsgård’s performance is riveting, and the chemistry between the two actors is far more potent than their contrasting energies would suggest. Where Colin is open, human, fallible and instantly relatable, Ray is closed, enigmatic, mysterious — almost godlike in his remove from the rest of us mere mortals.
Skarsgård plays him with a beautifully controlled opacity; the lack of transparency invites the audience to project multiple meanings onto every glance, every pause, every half‑smile. And just when Ray risks becoming too aloof, Skarsgård lets slip the faintest flicker of tenderness, care or genuine affection, reminding us that something warmer — and more complicated — might be pulsing beneath the armour.
Harry Melling’s performance as Colin is deep, nuanced and unexpectedly moving. He fully suspends our disbelief that this plain, gauche young man could attract such a Nordic god. He leads us through a rich emotional journey: exhilaration, sexual awakening, jealousy, betrayal, fear, excitement, the desire for agency and intimacy, and ultimately heartbreak.
For all that this is far from a hetero-normal relationship (whatever that means), the emotional arc mirrors many coming-of-age and early‑love stories, making Colin’s experience eminently relatable to audiences.
Ultimately, Pillion invites audiences to loosen their grip on judgment and let go of tidy preconceptions about what sexuality should look like. Lighton’s film celebrates the messy, diverse and experimental ways people find connection, pleasure and identity. But it also opens the door to a more complicated conversation.
We’re encouraged to revel in Colin’s liberation while still questioning the emotional risks he shoulders, and to consider where exploration ends and vulnerability begins. It’s this blend of celebration and unease, held with such warmth and humour, that makes Pillion linger long after the credits roll.
Pillion runs from 9 – 15 February as part of Lotterywest Films and Perth Festival. Somerville Auditorium, The University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Hwy, Godroo / Crawley WA 6009.
Tickets: https://www.perthfestival.com.au/program/season-2026/pillion
Website: https://www.perthfestival.com.au/program/season-2026/lotterywest-films
Socials: https://www.instagram.com/perthfest/ and https://www.instagram.com/lotterywest/
Watch the trailer here:
Film details:
Title: Pillion
Director: Harry Lighton
Cast: Harry Melling, Alexander Skarsgård, Lesley Sharp, Douglas Hodge
Country of Origin: UK / Ireland
Duration: 107 mins
Rating: R 18+ (high impact nudity and sex scenes)
Pillion screens nationally at Palace Cinemas from 19 February 2026. Check listings here.
