Underplayed Gems

Pillion (2025)

Pillion poster
Directed by
Harry Lighton
Genre
drama film, LGBTQ-related film, romantic comedy film
Country
United Kingdom, Ireland
Runtime
1h 46m
Rated
NR
Rating
6.4 of 10 from 269 voters
Elsewhere
IMDb
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How it feels

A timid gay man enters a BDSM relationship with an enigmatic biker. The film follows their unusual connection and the power dynamics between them.

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What happens

Pillion is a 2025 romantic dark comedy drama film written and directed by Harry Lighton, based on the 2020 novel Box Hill by Adam Mars-Jones. The film stars Harry Melling as a timid gay man and Alexander Skarsgård as an enigmatic biker who start a BDSM relationship. Pillion had its premiere in the Un Certain Regard section of the 78th Cannes Film Festival, where it won the section's Best Screenplay prize and the Palm Dog for Mutt Moment. It was released in cinemas in the United Kingdom on 28 November 2025 by Warner Bros. Pictures and Picturehouse Entertainment. It received critical acclaim, with particular praise for Lighton's writing and directing, as well as the performances of Melling and Skarsgård. At the 28th British Independent Film Awards, the film earned ten nominations and won in four categories, including Best British Independent Film. It was nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay, Outstanding British Film, and Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director or Producer (for Lighton) at the 79th British Academy Film Awards. Lighton also won Best Adapted Screenplay at the 35th Gotham Independent Film Awards. (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

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