There are movies that play it safe, and then there are movies like Pillion — a film that dives headfirst into uncomfortable territory and emerges as something genuinely beautiful, funny, and deeply human. Currently holding a rare 100% on Rotten Tomatoes, this A24 release is one of the most talked-about films of early 2026, and if you haven’t heard of it yet, consider this your official introduction.
What Is Pillion About?
Based on Adam Mars-Jones’ 2020 novel Box Hill, Pillion follows Colin, a quiet, directionless young gay man from Bromley, London — a parking warden who sings in a barbershop quartet and lets life pass him by. Everything changes the night a mysterious biker named Ray slips him a note at the pub, drawing Colin into a relationship that explores power, desire, identity, and emotional complexity in ways that feel raw and utterly real.
Directed by debut filmmaker Harry Lighton, who spent time researching with the real-life Gay Bikers Motorcycle Club, the film is funny, tender, explicit, and provocative — often all at once.
Pillion & Characters at a Glance
| Actor | Character | Known For |
|---|---|---|
| Harry Melling | Colin | Harry Potter series, The Ballad of Buster Scruggs, The Pale Blue Eye |
| Alexander Skarsgård | Ray | True Blood, The Northman, Succession, Murderbot |
| Lesley Sharp | Peggy (Colin’s Mum) | Afterlife, Scott & Bailey, Vera |
| Douglas Hodge | Pete (Colin’s Dad) | Joker, Tony Award winner for La Cage aux Folles |
| Jake Shears | Kevin (Gay Biker) | Scissor Sisters frontman — screen debut |
The Stars Up Close
Harry Melling brings extraordinary, career-defining vulnerability to Colin. Best known as Dudley Dursley in the Harry Potter franchise, Melling has spent years deliberately dismantling that image through indie films and theatre — and Pillion is his most complete reinvention yet. He is awkward, aching, and magnetic.
Alexander Skarsgård plays Ray with magnetic, understated menace. Son of Stellan Skarsgård and no stranger to complex roles across True Blood, The Northman, and Succession, he brings a charismatic opacity to Ray that is impossible to look away from.
Jake Shears, the Scissor Sisters frontman, makes his screen acting debut here — and by all accounts, he holds his own completely.
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Pillion Film at a Glance
| Detail | Info |
|---|---|
| Director | Harry Lighton |
| Based On | Box Hill by Adam Mars-Jones (2020) |
| US Release | February 6, 2026 (A24) |
| UK Release | November 28, 2025 (Warner Bros. / Picturehouse) |
| Cannes Award | Best Screenplay – Un Certain Regard 2025 |
| Rotten Tomatoes | 100% (134 reviews) |
| Metacritic | 85/100 — Universal Acclaim |
