"Pillion" REVIEW

Published on 2/28/2026 

Written by: Braylon Mitchell 

Best Adapted Screenplay, Outstanding British Film, and Best British Debut nominee at the 79th BAFTA (British Academy of Film and Televison Arts) Awards. 

Best Adapted Screenplay Winner at the 35th Annual Gotham Independent Film Awards. 

Directed by: Harry Lighton 

Cast: Harry Melling, Alexander Skarsgard, Lesley Sharp, Douglass Hodge, etc. 

Plot: A directionless man is swept off his feet when an enigmatic, impossibly handsome biker takes him on as his submissive. 

REVIEW 

This film's best quality was its unexpected sweetness. Written and directed by Harry Lighton, this impressively being his feature film debut, this film handles its characters and themes brilliantly. Centered around an extreme dom-sub relationship that a lot of people might see as twisted or strange, Lighton tells this story with a nuanced understanding of what society would deem unorthodox. Through that full acceptance of this form of relationship, the romantic dynamics and character arcs of our two central characters are able to ease into center stage- allowing the take in the multiple dimensions of this relationship, a romance that is both funny within its intended humor and so endearing in its sincerity. The meaning, personal desires, inner conflicts, and boundaries of these characters are constantly shifting/evolving throughout the film as well- with Harry Melling's Colin being more so the lead perspective of the film, but the shifts very much applying to the quieter Ray played by Alexander Skarsgard. Both give fantastic performances that live up to the layered writing of the characters they're playing. The conclusions that befalls both character arcs truly moved me too, especially in how their personal resolutions are so differing. This is a really great, confident film that's sure to stay with me. 

THREE BEST ELEMENTS

• Harry Melling and Alexander Skarsgard's performances. Both are superb in this film, emotionally nuanced and engrossing. 

• The screenplay. As I alluded to a lot in the paragraph above, I adored how these characters/this relationship was written. I've got to further praise this film's sense of humor as well. Some very funny lines/situations. 

• The direction. I love it when a directorial debut is so distinctly in tune with a vision and so bold in doing that consistently for two hours straight that most people wouldn't even consider that the film they're watching is a debut. That's exactly the case with why I loved Harry Lighton's direction of this film so much. 

WORST ELEMENT 

• Nothing too notable to me. 

RATING

8/10

You should watch it, buddy!