These days, it seems like everyone is still talking about the steamy gay sex scenes in Jacob Tierney’s HBO Max series “Heated Rivalry.” However, even Shane (Hudson Williams) and Ilya (Connor Storrie) would blush at the sight of sexual activities in “Pillion” (A24), the feature-length directorial debut from Harry Lighton.
Based on “Box Hill” by gay novelist Adam Mars-Jones, “Pillion” takes the queer dramedy down a fresh and erotic path. Colin (Harry Melling) first encounters Ray (Alexander Skarsgård) while collecting tips for the barbershop quartet in which he sings. At first, he’s ignored by Ray, and then suddenly he’s next to him, presenting Colin with a Christmas card in which he’s written a location to meet the next day.
Little does Colin realize that this is going to be the beginning of a life-changing experience. Still living at home with his parents, terminally ill Peggy (Lesley Sharp) and Pete (Douglas Hodge), Colin works as a meter man, writing parking tickets by day. Peggy and Pete are loving and supportive of Colin and want nothing more for him than to find a boyfriend.
Colin and Ray’s first sexual encounter, in an alley on Christmas night, sets the kinky tone for what follows. Initially, distant from Colin, Ray is suddenly a presence. He picks Colin up at Peggy and Pete’s and then whisks him away on his motorcycle. At Ray’s, Colin is surprised to discover a piano (he didn’t think Colin was “that sort”) and even more shocked when he’s expected make Ray dinner (Colin’s a “lousy cook”). However, the biggest jolt occurs when Ray reveals Colin’s sleeping options (the rug or the hallway).
Then there’s the sex, which occurs following a wrestling bout in singlets. Ray provides Colin, who has an “aptitude for devotion,” with a shopping list for his return that evening, including instructions to buy a butt plug, because he’s “too tight.”
Officially in a dom/sub relationship, Colin gets a short haircut, wears a lock and chain around his neck (to which Ray wears the key on a chain around his), and dresses in biker leathers. During a biker orgy in the countryside, Colin meets Kevin (Jake Shears), who says that Ray is “impossibly handsome” and the less attractive Colin brings his “qualities into relief.”
More hurt and drama lie ahead. There is a disastrous dinner at Peggy and Pete’s with Ray and Colin. Peggy dies shortly after that. Aware that Ray doesn’t share his feelings, Colin finds a way to make Ray show him a modicum of kindness. These scenes are some of the most emotionally wrenching, but also unexpectedly sweet, ultimately leading to greater sadness.
Among the noteworthy achievements in “Pillion,” is the balance struck between comedy, drama, and explicit sexuality. Not necessarily a simple act given the subject matter, but the performances, especially Melling, Skarsgård, and Sharp, are magnificent. Lighton’s direction, as well as his awe-inspiring screenplay, keeps us comfortable, as we take our place on the back of Ray’s motorcycle, the pillion, if you will, and hang on for the ride.
Rating: A-
