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Pillion

Play trailer 2:02 Poster for Pillion In Theaters Feb 6 1h 46m Romance Comedy LGBTQ+ Play Trailer Watchlist
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100% Tomatometer 66 Reviews Popcornmeter 0 Verified Ratings
A timid man is swept off his feet when an enigmatic, impossibly handsome biker takes him on as his submissive.
Coming Soon In Theaters Feb 6 Notify Me
Pillion

What to Know

Critics Consensus

A remarkable directorial debut by Harry Lighton, Pillion is an unconventional romance that soars thanks to its nonjudgmental perspective and knockout performances.

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Critics Reviews

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Donald Clarke Irish Times Dec 20
4/5
At the heart of Pillion, a very English class of reasonableness brushes against an equally English interest in hierarchical kink. Nothing wrong with that sort of thing, but doesn’t it play terrible havoc with the knees. Go to Full Review
Anna Smith Rolling Stone UK Dec 6
4/5
It’s a heart-warming depiction of parenthood that strikes a similar tone to films such as Pride, where the older mining community embraced LGBTQ+ activists. And Colin’s journey is a joy to watch. Go to Full Review
Mark Kermode Kermode and Mayo's Take (YouTube) Dec 3
One of its strengths is that it does make you feel uncomfortable. Go to Full Review
Tina Kakadelis Beyond the Cinerama Dome Dec 28
Melling and Skarsgård make for a phenomenal pair that wholly sells the goal of Pillion, one that recognizes the many paths that can lead a person to emotional growth. Go to Full Review
John Paul King Washington Blade Dec 24
A film to admire from a promising new queer director, shining a light on an insular culture within the larger rainbow community with intelligence, dignity, and a refreshing lack of the homophobic tropes that so often haunt queer movies. Go to Full Review
Doug Jamieson The Jam Report Dec 23
4/5
An unexpectedly tender, quietly provocative love story that refuses to sensationalise its subject matter while also refusing to apologise for it. Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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Phil V Dec 4 Original, funny, moving, heartwarming and sexy…a surprising joy and my film of the year. Harry Melling deserves an award for his totally believable acting and I can’t wait to see what Harry Lighton (writer/director) makes in the future. See more Nadine P Dec 3 Absolutely stunning film. The variety of emotions it conjures up for the audience is breathtaking. And the acting is brilliant. This has been my favourite film of the year. See more Karen P Dec 2 Unforgettable film in so many ways. Yes, it’s explicit but that isn’t the lasting footprint of this film. I left the cinema having been enlightened, embarrassed, happy and so very sad. Most reviews are talking about Harry Mellings’ Colin and his transformation but it’s the inability of Alexander Skarsgaards’ Ray to change that is the true heartbreak. It’s a masterclass in the subtlety of truly great acting where so few words are needs to elicit such emotion from an audience. There won’t be Oscar nominations as it’s a small, independent film with a small budget, but there really, really should be. See more Rachael D Dec 2 Absolutely blow away by this. Watching this film felt like falling in love for the first time, having the best sex of my life, experiencing total heartbreak, and ending on a silver lining. The best adult film I've seen since Joaquin Phoenix played Joker. See more Rob W Dec 1 Crept in as my film of the year. Richard Curtis does Jean Genet; not necessarily for the faint hearted. See more Anthony N Nov 29 A must see - fantastic depiction of the complexities of a dom sub relationship, of finding yourself and exploring the barriers some people put up to emotionally wall themselves. Stellar cast performances and excellent cinematography - Alexander Skarsgård and Harry Melling are phenomenal. See more Read all reviews

Movie Info

Synopsis A timid man is swept off his feet when an enigmatic, impossibly handsome biker takes him on as his submissive.
Director
Harry Lighton
Producer
Lee Groombridge, Ed Guiney, Andrew Lowe, Emma Norton
Screenwriter
Harry Lighton
Distributor
A24
Production Co
Element Pictures, British Film Institute (BFI), BBC Film
Genre
Romance, Comedy, LGBTQ+
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Feb 6, 2026, Limited
Runtime
1h 46m
Sound Mix
Dolby Digital
Aspect Ratio
Flat (1.85:1)