Alexander Skarsgård and Harry Melling on the surprisingly sweet BDSM romance 'Pillion'

The actors and director discuss the explicit yet heartfelt film about a dom-sub relationship.

Published on Feb. 13, 2026

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Alexander Skarsgård, Harry Melling, and director Harry Lighton discuss their new film 'Pillion', a BDSM-themed romance that has been generating buzz on the festival circuit. They talk about the film's explicit yet sweet depiction of the relationship between Skarsgård's enigmatic biker character and Melling's younger, more inexperienced partner. The filmmakers explain their approach to portraying the sex scenes and navigating the line between sex-positive and sex-negative themes. Melling also shares his thoughts on avoiding the label of 'breakthrough role' for the film.

Why it matters

The film 'Pillion' is notable for its frank yet sensitive portrayal of a BDSM relationship, a topic that is often sensationalized or stigmatized in media. The filmmakers' commitment to authenticity and nuance in depicting the characters' emotional and sexual journey has generated praise from both BDSM communities and general audiences.

The details

In 'Pillion', Skarsgård plays Ray, the enigmatic member of a gay biker club, who begins a dom-sub relationship with the younger and more inexperienced Colin, played by Melling. The film features explicit sex scenes, but the filmmakers worked to ensure the depiction was sex-positive rather than exploitative. Director Lighton says he fought to keep the sex scenes in the film rather than sanitizing them, as he felt that would be judging the characters' choices. The screenplay was even more explicit than the final film, with Skarsgård joking that he thought he was signing up for a five-minute shot of an erection.

  • The film premiered at the Cannes Film Festival last year.
  • It has since played at several other film festivals before now arriving in North American theaters.

The players

Alexander Skarsgård

An actor who plays the enigmatic member of a gay biker club in the film 'Pillion'.

Harry Melling

An actor who plays the younger, more inexperienced partner of Skarsgård's character in 'Pillion'.

Harry Lighton

The filmmaker who directed 'Pillion'.

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What they’re saying

“It's really fun to see and feel the energy in the room, how sometimes people really lean into the comedy and sometimes it feels more somber and heartfelt.”

— Alexander Skarsgård (wral.com)

“I had to fight for the odd piece of technical equipment or an extra day in the schedule, all that boring stuff. But not the stuff which I thought was really integral to the script, for instance, not sanitizing the depiction of sex.”

— Harry Lighton, Director (wral.com)

“The success of the film lives or dies by Colin so I think the reaction to the film is a kind of testament to Harry's work in it.”

— Harry Lighton, Director (wral.com)

“The idea of, you know, the word breakthrough terrifies me. If you as an actor start considering this is, like, the moment or the breakthrough moment, you're sort of done for.”

— Harry Melling, Actor (wral.com)

What’s next

The film 'Pillion' is expected to continue its festival run and theatrical release in North America in the coming months.

The takeaway

By tackling the sensitive subject of BDSM relationships with nuance and authenticity, 'Pillion' has the potential to challenge stereotypes and foster greater understanding around diverse forms of intimacy and sexuality.