Love, Leather, and Liberation: The Bold World of 'Pillion'

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Chris: Okay, so here's something you don't see every

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day. A film that dives headfirst into the

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world of gay biker gangs, BDSM dynamics

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and unconventional relationships all wrapped

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up in a dramatic comedy. It's called Pillion

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and it's one of the most daring films I've

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seen in a long time.

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Jessica: Oh, I've heard about this. It's based on

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Box Hill by Adam Mars Jones. Right.

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That book was set in the pre AIDS era, uh,

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wasn't it? I've been curious about how they

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adapted it for the screen.

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Chris: Exactly. Harry Lytton directed it and

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it's actually his first feature film. He

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really took a risk here because this isn't

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just a love story. It's a deep dive into a

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world most people probably know nothing

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about. It's bold, unapologetic and

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surprisingly tender in places.

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Jessica: That already sounds fascinating.

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What's the setup? Who are the main characters

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we're following?

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Chris: The story revolves around Colin, played by

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Harry Melling. You might know him from the

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Queen's Gambit or even as Dudley Dursley in

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the Harry Potter films. Here he's this

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introverted, almost painfully naive parking

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officer who still lives with his parents in

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London. Colin's sweet, but he's also

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kind of lost. He hasn't really figured out

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who he is or what he wants, especially when

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it comes to his sexuality.

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Jessica: So he's just sort of drifting through life

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when something or someone

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shakes things up.

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Chris: Exactly. Enter Ray,

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played by Alexander Skarsgord. Ray

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is this rugged, enigmatic biker who's part of

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a gay motorcycle gang. Colin first sees him

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while performing in a pub with a little

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quartet. It's one of those moments where

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Colin's eyes just light up. You can tell he's

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instantly drawn to Ray, even though he can't

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imagine someone like Ray would ever notice

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him.

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Jessica: And does Ray notice him or is Colin just

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admiring from afar?

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Chris: Oh, uh, Ray notices him alright. After a

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brief conversation at the bar, Ray hands

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Colin a pickup note. It's so direct and

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unexpected. Fast forward to Christmas Day

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and they meet up in a back alley. Ray is

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commanding and Colin just follows. It's

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like Colin is stepping into an entirely new

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world. One he didn't even know existed.

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Jessica: That sounds intense. So

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is this a one time thing or does it develop

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into something more?

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Chris: That's the fascinating part. Colin assumes

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it's just a one time fling, but Ray has

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other plans. Over time,

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Colin becomes a part of Ray's life.

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He even moves in with him, though not in the

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way you'd expect. Colin sleeps on the rug

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at the foot of Ray's bed. He cooks for him,

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cleans for him, shops for him. It's this

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completely submissive arrangement and Colin

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not only accepts it, but starts to thrive in

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it. He begins to discover things about

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himself, his desires, his boundaries, what

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he's willing to give.

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Jessica: That's such a unique dynamic. It doesn't

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sound like a traditional relationship at all.

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How does Ray treat Colin in all of this?

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Chris: Ray's a bit of a mystery. He's poker faced,

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disciplined and a man of very few words.

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He doesn't give much of himself, not to Colin

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and not even to Colin's mom, who desperately

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wants to know more about him. But despite

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that, Colin falls for him deeply.

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The problem is Ray isn't interested in love.

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He's interested in control, in maintaining

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this very specific dynamic that must

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be so hard for Colin.

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Jessica: Does the film explore how he copes with that

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unrequited love?

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Chris: Absolutely. The emotional toll on

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Colin is a big part of the story, but

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it's not all heartbreak. Through this

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unconventional relationship, Colin learns

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so much about himself. It's a journey of

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self discovery as much as it is a story about

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their dynamic. He starts to understand

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his own desires and his own capacity to love,

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even if it's not returned in the way he

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hopes.

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Jessica: And what about Ray? Do we get any insight

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into why he is the way he is?

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Chris: That's one of the most intriguing things

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about the film. Ray remains a closed book.

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You get glimpses of his world through his

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interactions with his biker gang and his

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dynamic with Colin. But he never really lets

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anyone in. It's frustrating, but it also

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makes him fascinating. You're constantly

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wondering what's going on. Beneath the

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surface, it sounds like the

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Jessica: film really leans into the complexity of

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these characters.

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What about the supporting cast? You mentioned

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Colin's parents earlier.

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Chris: Oh, uh, they're incredible. Douglas Hodge and

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Leslie Sharp play Colin's parents, Pete and

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Peggy. They're warm, loving and

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so supportive. Peggy in particular is a

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standout. She's facing her own mortality.

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She's dying. But that doesn't stop her from

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speaking her mind. There's this one scene

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where she confronts Ray and it's just so raw

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and powerful. It's one of the highlights of

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the film.

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Jessica: I love that they included that family

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dynamic. It adds so much depth to Colin's

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story. What about the biker gang?

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Are they just background characters or do

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they play a significant role?

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Chris: They're definitely more than just background.

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Leighton actually spent a weekend with

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members of the gay Bikers, motorcycle club

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while preparing for the film and he ended up

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casting some of them. Their presence adds

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this layer of authenticity to the story. You

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get a sense of the camaraderie and the almost

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tribal bond they share. It's a world that

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feels very lived in and real.

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Jessica: That's such a cool detail. It sounds like

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Lytton really did his homework.

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Speaking of which, how does he handle the

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more explicit aspects of the story? I hm,

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mean, it's rated R, so I'm guessing it

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doesn't hold back.

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Chris: Not at all. The film is unapologetically

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explicit, both in terms of nudity and sexual

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content, but it never feels gratuitous.

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Leighton treats the subject matter with care

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and respect. It's honest and eye opening,

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but it's also good natured. It's not about

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shocking the audience. It's about being

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authentic to the story and the characters.

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Jessica: That's so important, especially with a topic

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that could easily be sensationalized.

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How would you describe the overall tone of

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the film? Is it more dramatic or does

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the comedy balance it out?

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Chris: It's a delicate balance of both. The dramatic

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elements are definitely at the forefront,

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especially when it comes to Colin's emotional

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journey. But there's also this underlying

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humor that keeps things from getting too

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heavy. It's subtle, but it's there and it

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works beautifully.

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Jessica: It sounds like a really unique film. How did

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you feel about the performances? Did the cast

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live up to the material?

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Chris: Oh, absolutely. Harry Melling is

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phenomenal as Colin. He captures this wide

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eyed innocence and eagerness to please that's

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so central to the character. And Alexander

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Skarsgord? Uh, what can I say? He's

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magnetic as Ray. He's tough, commanding

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and completely captivating. The chemistry

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between the two of them is palpable.

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Jessica: What about the visuals? I imagine a film like

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this would have a very specific aesthetic.

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Chris: Definitely. The cinematography is stunning.

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It's gritty and raw, but also incredibly

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intimate. You feel like you're right there

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with the characters experiencing everything

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alongside them. It's immersive in the best

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way.

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Jessica: So, uh, final thoughts. Would you

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recommend it?

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Chris: Without a doubt. It's not going to be for

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everyone, especially given the explicit

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content, but if you're open to it, Pillion

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is a well constructed, engaging film that

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explores a taboo subject with honesty and

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sensitivity. I'd give it an 8 out of 10.

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Jessica: That's a strong recommendation. I think I'll

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have to check it out. It sounds like

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a film that stays with you long after the

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credits roll.

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Chris: It really does. It's one of those films that

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makes you think, makes you feel, and maybe

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even makes you see the world a little

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differently. Definitely worth watching.

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Jessica: You've been listening to movies first

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available

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Chris: at Apple Podcasts, Spotify,

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iHeartRadio or your favourite podcast

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player. You can also stream on

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demand@bytes.com this has been another

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quality podcast production from

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bytes.com.