Since its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival last spring, Pillion has won praise as a “crowd-pleaser” that’s boldly sexy, queer, and sweet.
Harry Melling stars as a timid young man who falls hard for a leatherdaddy biker (Alexander Skarsgård), who invites him into a master-slave BDSM bond.
This film is rich with longing and centers on an often earnest and uncool protagonist, who dares to swing big for what he desires. That means there are some notable similarities between Pillion and the world’s current TV obsession: Heated Rivalry.
For Say More, when Entertainment Editor Kristy Puchko sat down with Skarsgård and Melling in A24’s NY offices to discuss Pillion, she asked not only about shooting those buzzed-about sex scenes, but also the challenge of allowing yourself to be not just vulnerable onscreen but uncool.
She began their conversation by asking what was more of a challenge, the wrestling sequence that involved an intimacy coordinator and some painful-looking choreography, or the scenes that asked Melling and Skarsgård to shed leather and harnesses and be vulnerable in song.
From there, Puchko pointed to Heated Rivalry as a tentpole on the ongoing discourse over who can tell queer stories and who the audience is for them. Melling and Skarsgård tied that back to their goals as actors in Pillion.
Skarsgård also noted that writer/director Harry Lighton researched the kink subculture depicted in the film with the help of London’s Gay Bikers Motorcycle Club. Beyond getting to know some of the men in that scene, Lighton took several on as consultants and supporting cast in Pillion, giving greater representation to the queer subculture.
And on top of all this, the interview ends with the Pillion stars each revealing the first romantic movie to make them swoon.
For more Say More interviews, check out our YouTube channel.
Pillion is now playing in theaters.
