Dudley Dursley likes a bit of rough in a love story that’s tender from top to bottom.
“Kinky romantic comedy” isn’t a very big subgenre, but there have been a few examples over the years. Even before Maggie Gyllenhaal took dictation from James Spader in Secretary there was Preaching To The Perverted, whose VHS tape was a perennial fixture in Goth share houses back in the day. Now we can add Pillion to the rack.
Pillion Trailer
What’s the plot?
Based on the 2020 novel Box Hill by Adam Mars-Jones, Pillion sees Harry Melling as Colin, a young, shy gay man still living with his parents, who embarks on a hardcore sadomasochistic relationship with Alexander Skarsgård‘s Ray, a tough biker. But this is a romantic comedy, not Cruising, so what we get is, judging by the trailer, the sort of warm and bubbly meet-cute fling that Hugh Grant used to turn up in on the reg, only with more butt plugs and spreader bars. The feature debut of writer and director Harry Lighton, the most transgressive thing about Pillion might be that it treats queer and kinky relationships as relatively normal within the parameters of the rom com genre.
Who’s in it?
- Harry Melling as Colin.
- Alexander Skarsgård as Ray.
- Douglas Hodge as Pete.
- Lesley Sharp as Peggy.
- Jake Shears as Kevin.
- Paul Tallis as The Human Puppy, a character name that indicates we’re not exactly in Notting Hill territory here.
- Anthony Welsh as Darren.
When’s it out?
Pillion is set for UK release on November 28. A local date has yet to be announced, but expect it somewhere in the same neighbourhood.
What’s the vibe?
Queer, kinky, funny, and heartfelt – what’s not to like? Pillion seems like the sort of film that riles up reactionaries due to its very existence, but the actual emotional thrust of the story looks pretty resonant.
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