A24 continues its reputation for fearless storytelling with the upcoming release of Pillion. Adapted from Adam Mars-Jones’ novel Box Hill, the film is the feature debut of writer and director Harry Lighton. This project blends erotic tension with emotional honesty, offering an interpretation of intimacy rarely seen on the big screen. The story captures both humor and discomfort while pushing against inherited models of love. Audiences are invited to consider where devotion ends and independence begins. Pillion does not present a simple love story. Instead, it forces viewers to question assumptions about power, affection, and personal growth. With sharp performances from Harry Melling and Alexander Skarsgård, this A24 release situates itself as both daring and memorable.
The Story of Pillion
Pillion follows Colin, a quiet traffic warden living in the suburbs, whose life changes when he encounters Ray. Ray is the leader of a gay motorcycle club and carries the presence of an untouchable figure. Their first meeting evolves into an arrangement that challenges every part of Colin’s existence. As Ray draws Colin into submission, the bond grows deeper, weaving affection with control. To outsiders, the relationship appears exploitative. Inside the connection, however, there are surprising moments of beauty and revelation. Colin learns new expressions of loyalty and begins redefining his understanding of love. At the same time, he confronts limits on his willingness to serve. These conflicting truths make the relationship both exhilarating and unsettling.
“Pillion means the passenger seat on a motorbike, but among gay bikers it suggests submission,” says Lighton.
From Novel to Screen
Adapting Box Hill for film required bold choices. Lighton shifted the story from the 1970s into the present day, avoiding dated tropes. This change allowed Colin’s parents to become active figures, involved in his personal life rather than silent observers. They encourage his sexuality but reject the relationship he chooses. This tension underscores the complexity of acceptance. Parents may support identity in theory but still resist forms of intimacy that defy convention. By presenting this conflict, Pillion mirrors real debates about love, progress, and societal boundaries. The adaptation also condenses the time frame. Instead of spanning years, the film unfolds over several months, beginning during the holidays and closing the following year. This focus sharpens the story, centering attention on transformation and emotional stakes.
The Performances
Harry Melling portrays Colin with sensitivity, balancing fragility with hidden resilience. His performance highlights a journey from passivity to agency. Melling prepared extensively, even shaving his head and mastering physical movements that mark Colin’s evolution. Skarsgård, portraying Ray, delivers both danger and allure. He drew inspiration from Kenneth Anger’s Scorpio Rising, combining the archetypal biker image with a more complex interior life. His Ray is magnetic yet mysterious, commanding attention without becoming a stereotype. Together, Melling and Skarsgård craft a dynamic that is equal parts volatile and tender. Their collaboration grounds the film’s most explicit scenes in emotional truth. The chemistry builds tension while also allowing space for vulnerability. The result is a portrayal of intimacy that feels both intimate and cinematic.
“To sum up Pillion in three words: lube, sweat, and leather,” Skarsgård remarks with a smile.
Design and Atmosphere
The setting of suburban Bromley serves as more than a backdrop. Production designer Francesca Massariol created a contrast between Colin’s family home and Ray’s austere residence. One environment is warm and cluttered, the other sterile and enigmatic. Costume designer Grace Snell updated the biker aesthetic, avoiding dated leather tropes and introducing a modern sense of kink and authenticity. Hair and makeup designer Diandra Ferreira enhanced Colin’s visual arc, with changes in style reflecting his inner shifts. Cinematographer Nick Morris captured these details with an eye for realism, even using guerrilla techniques on crowded streets. Together, the design and cinematography fuse realism with intimacy. The world of Pillion feels lived in, yet heightened enough to sustain tension. These visual decisions strengthen the central theme of contrast between control and vulnerability.
Exploring Power and Intimacy
Pillion is not simply a romance. It is a meditation on the ways power influences relationships of all kinds. Lighton positions Colin and Ray’s bond against the marriage of Colin’s parents, drawing parallels that are subtle yet sharp. Both unions contain hierarchies, though only one is openly recognized. This choice challenges audiences to reflect on how society labels relationships as healthy or unhealthy. By exploring dominance and submission without irony, the film grants weight to desires often dismissed in mainstream narratives. It acknowledges humor while refusing to reduce intimacy to spectacle. Colin’s journey becomes not just about service but about self-definition. The film asks whether true devotion can coexist with personal independence. That question lingers long after the final scene.
Final Take
A24’s Pillion emerges as a fearless addition to modern cinema. Harry Lighton’s debut blends eroticism, humor, and emotional complexity with striking authenticity. Through committed performances, detailed design, and thoughtful adaptation, the film expands the definition of queer storytelling on screen. By interrogating power, love, and identity, Pillion challenges audiences to reconsider what intimacy can mean. This is not a story of conformity but of courage, contradiction, and discovery. For viewers, it promises both discomfort and recognition. For cinema, it signals another bold move from A24, a studio that continues to reshape cultural narratives.
