Rotten Tomatoes
Movies Tv shows RT App News Showtimes

Pillion

Play trailer 2:02 Poster for Pillion Now Playing 1h 46m Romance Comedy LGBTQ+ Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
100% Tomatometer 93 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.
Now in Theaters Now Playing Buy Tickets
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.

Read Critics Reviews

Critics Reviews

View More
Amy Nicholson Los Angeles Times 4h
Perhaps you’d like to be taken to dinner first, but "Pillion" is about Colin’s needs — specifically his need to please — and first-time feature filmmaker Harry Lighton challenges us to root for his bliss. Go to Full Review
Jake Coyle Associated Press 6h
3/4
Lighton is more keen to enjoy the unfolding dynamics of a relationship in the extreme, one that ultimately, like any other, is guided by needs and wants. And the performances are uncanny. Go to Full Review
Katie Rife AV Club 7h
B+
Pillion is a film about self-knowledge, and about asserting one’s needs and boundaries without shame. Go to Full Review
Matthew Creith Matinee With Matt 1h
Lighton has an intuitive grasp of how erotic discovery can feel liberating, even when it takes forms that general audiences might find unsettling. Go to Full Review
Sherin Nicole RIOTUS 1h
A sensual awakening about how first love can teach us to better love ourselves. Go to Full Review
Mathew Rodriguez them. 5h
Like many other classic queer films, Pillion is a triumphant take on the transformative power of early queer love and the way that perfect strangers can alter us irrevocably. Go to Full Review
Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View More
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
Pillion

My Rating

Read More Read Less POST RATING WRITE A REVIEW EDIT REVIEW

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)