In Harry Lighton’s Pillion, Colin (Harry Melling) meets Ray (Alexander Skarsgård) and begins a relationship with him that involves cooking all of Ray’s meals, sleeping on the floor, and catering to his every need. As he learns more about the nature of this BDSM dynamic, Colin assesses his own discomfort as he yearns for a more conventional romance with the man he loves.
Awards Buzz spoke with Skarsgård about working with both Harrys to craft something that felt like a romantic comedy but showcased an underrepresented subculture many people don’t really know very well. He commented on the appeal of shooting a scene where Ray is introduced to Colin’s parents, who don’t know what to make of him:
“Harry Lighton has spoken quite eloquently about playing with rom-com tropes, and obviously dinner with the in-laws is a big rom-com or comedy trope, how that can feel a bit exciting but also awkward, and to play with that, how bad that can go when you have someone like Ray who doesn’t want to share anything. It was also playing tonally, going from an orgy in the woods to a Sunday roast, the way they brush against each other, those two worlds, is quite interesting. It’s a depiction that I haven’t seen before. I think it’s often, if you want to portray a subculture, especially BSDM culture, it’s often very intense and dark and sometimes even frightening. We wanted to show that it can be very pedestrian and mundane and awkward and sweet. Definitely intense moments, but cut from that to having Sunday roast with Meet the Parents vibes was interesting, and an incredibly exciting scene to shoot because I didn’t judge anyone in that scene and the hope was for the audience to not judge either.”
Watch the video above to hear about how the films acknowledges consent and has been received positively around the world, as well as Skarsgård’s appreciation of some of his formative roles.
Pillion opens in theaters on February 6th, 2026.
