Harry Lighton’s critically acclaimed BDSM romance Pillion hits U.S. theaters just in time for Valentine’s Day, and you can get in the mood by watching the latest trailer from A24.
Based on the 2020 novel Box Hill by Adam Mars-Jones, who co-wrote the film with Lighton, Pillion stars Harry Melling as introverted parking attendant Colin. A chance encounter leads him to meet his polar opposite in self-assured motorcycle club leader Ray (Alexander Skarsgård), and it’s not long before the pair embark on a Dom/sub relationship.
While the confident Ray is engrained in BDSM culture, this is Colin’s first sexual relationship. What follows is an exploration of kink that earned rave reviews out of its premiere at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival.
As Siddhant Adlakha wrote in his review out of Cannes, “Lighton’s electric, modern-day British drama explores a master-slave relationship that’s as upsetting as it is invigorating. Led by a pair of fine-tuned performances from Alexander Skarsgård and Harry Melling, the movie walks a fragile tonal tightrope with remarkable flair, resulting in one of the finest (and most crowd-pleasing) experiences at this year’s Cannes Film Festival.”
To see the beginnings of Colin and Ray’s unlikely romance for yourself, check out the above trailer, which features a back alley tryst and several awkward scenes of Colin trying to explain his new interests to his parents.
