There’s a moment in the new Pillion trailer where Harry Melling‘s Colin—mild, polite, clearly uncertain about everything in his life—looks at Alexander Skarsgård‘s leather-clad Ray with something that’s not quite fear and not quite desire. It’s both. Simultaneously. That’s the whole film in a single expression, apparently.
A24 finally dropped the official US trailer for Harry Lighton’s debut feature, and it confirms what festival audiences have been saying since Cannes last year: this is a BDSM movie that somehow works as a feel-good romance. Which shouldn’t be possible. And yet.
The Pillion Trailer Reveals a Very Specific Kind of Love Story
The premise sounds like provocation for its own sake: Colin, a sweet-natured man whose primary social outlet is a barbershop quartet, meets Ray at a pub. Ray is strapping, inscrutable, rides a motorcycle, wears leather. What follows is a submissive relationship—”both domestic and erotic,” as the NYFF description carefully puts it.
But the trailer suggests something more complicated than shock value. Colin’s parents (Lesley Sharp and Douglas Hodge) accept his gayness happily. The conflict isn’t about coming out. It’s about Colin figuring out what he actually wants—and whether what he wants is good for him.
Skarsgård plays against type here, or at least plays a different register of his type. He’s done intimidating masculinity before (The Northman, Big Little Lies), but Ray appears to require a specific kind of stillness. The trailer shows him watching Melling more than speaking, which tracks with the character being described as bringing “satisfaction and confusion, pain and pleasure.”
Melling, meanwhile, continues his post-Harry Potter transformation into one of the most interesting character actors of his generation. From The Queen’s Gambit to The Pale Blue Eye to this—he’s building a career on playing men who seem fragile until they’re not.
Why This Pillion Release Timing Matters
Valentine’s Day weekend. A24. A queer BDSM romance described as “sexy, hilarious, feel good.”
That’s a deliberate counter-programming move. While other studios push conventional romantic fare, A24 is betting audiences want something that challenges the formula while still delivering emotional satisfaction. The UK release in December apparently proved the approach works—the film found its audience without the controversy some might have expected.
Director Harry Lighton comes from short films, including Wren Boys. This is his first feature, which makes the Cannes premiere and the A24 acquisition even more notable. First-time directors rarely get this runway. The critical response—describing the film as “transgressive and disarming”—suggests he earned it.
I’ll admit: BDSM narratives in cinema have a spotty track record. For every thoughtful exploration, there’s a dozen films that treat kink as shorthand for dysfunction. Pillion seems aware of this, based on the trailer’s emphasis on tenderness alongside intensity. Whether it actually navigates that balance or just gestures at it… I won’t know until February 6th.
What the Festival Responses Actually Tell Us
The NYFF description mentions Colin “must decide what he wants and needs—and who he really is.” That’s a coming-of-age framework applied to a grown man, which is interesting. The film apparently treats submission not as degradation but as a form of self-discovery—”an inquiry into the social and sexual performances of masculinity.”
That’s the kind of thesis that either lands beautifully or feels like a director explaining his own movie. Lighton’s been praised for keeping the tone comic “without descending into judgment of its characters.” That restraint is everything here. Mock the relationship and you lose the audience. Sanctify it and you lose the edge.
My bet: Pillion works because Melling and Skarsgård commit completely. The trailer shows actors who aren’t winking at the material or protecting themselves from it. If either of them had held back, the whole thing would collapse into awkwardness. Instead, it looks genuinely affecting—and genuinely funny, which might be the harder achievement.
FAQ: Pillion Film and A24’s Valentine’s Release
Why might A24’s decision to release Pillion on Valentine’s Day weekend backfire?
Counter-programming only works if audiences are actively seeking alternatives. A BDSM romance requires more buy-in than typical date-night fare, and the subject matter might limit walkup business. If the film can’t convert curiosity into tickets, the bold scheduling becomes a liability.
How does Harry Melling’s casting change expectations for Pillion compared to typical A24 leads?
Melling brings vulnerability without vanity—he’s not a conventional romantic lead, which makes Colin’s journey feel less like fantasy and more like genuine discovery. But audiences unfamiliar with his post-Potter work might underestimate what he’s capable of, potentially limiting initial interest.
