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

The actors and director discuss the film's explicit yet heartfelt depiction of 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 praised for its explicit yet surprisingly sweet portrayal of a dom-sub relationship. The filmmakers talk about their approach to depicting sex on screen, Melling's breakout lead role, and the film's appeal to both BDSM communities and mainstream audiences.

Why it matters

The film 'Pillion' tackles the sensitive subject of BDSM relationships in a nuanced way, challenging stereotypes and exploring the emotional complexities of such unconventional dynamics. Its success demonstrates the growing demand for more diverse and authentic representations of sexuality in cinema.

The details

In 'Pillion', Alexander Skarsgård plays Ray, an enigmatic member of a gay biker club who begins a dom-sub relationship with the younger and more inexperienced Colin, portrayed by Harry Melling. The film features explicit sex scenes, but the filmmakers were determined to avoid sanitizing the depiction of sexuality. Director Harry Lighton fought to keep the sex scenes integral to the script, believing that pulling away from them would have been a form of judgment. Skarsgård and Melling were both aware of the film's explicit nature when they signed on, with Lighton noting that the screenplay was even more graphic than the final cut.

  • The film premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in 2025 and has since played at several other festivals.
  • It is now arriving in North American theaters in 2026.

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 portrays the younger and more inexperienced partner in the dom-sub relationship at the center of 'Pillion'.

Harry Lighton

The director of 'Pillion', who was determined to authentically depict the film's BDSM-themed romance.

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What they’re saying

“It can play in so many different ways. 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 (wbal.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. I was very keen on the fact that if we were going to take on this subject matter that the sex would be on screen, that it wouldn't be like portrayed through ellipsis or the camera panning away because I thought would make it seem like I was judging the type of sex we were showing.”

— Harry Lighton, Director (wbal.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 (wbal.com)

“I'll also add, this is like a side point, nothing about that, but like 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 (wbal.com)

The takeaway

The success of 'Pillion' demonstrates the growing demand for more nuanced and authentic representations of diverse sexualities in cinema. By tackling the sensitive subject of BDSM relationships with care and sensitivity, the film has appealed to both BDSM communities and mainstream audiences, challenging stereotypes and exploring the emotional complexities of unconventional dynamics.