Directed and written by Harry Lighton alongside Adam Mars-Jones, Pillion is a British romantic and erotic drama featuring performances from Alexander Skarsgård, Harry Melling, and Georgina Hellier. The film was selected for the Un Certain Regard section at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival, where it took home the Best Screenplay award in its 78th edition. It is scheduled to premiere in French theaters on March 4, 2026, according to its distributor.
Colin is a shy young man from a quiet London suburb, whose life takes a drastic turn when he meets Ray, the charismatic leader of a gay motorcycle club. Drawn in by Ray’s confidence and magnetic presence, he gradually becomes immersed in a world governed by loyalty, desire, and dominance.
As Colin becomes familiar with this community, he takes on the role of Ray’s “pillion”, the passenger behind the motorcycle—an emblem of both reliance and trust. Their relationship, rooted in attraction, tenderness, and power dynamics, explores how individuals inherit emotional templates and reshape them through their interactions. In a environment where marginality also serves as a space for liberation, their bond questions the way personal histories are transformed in the face of new connections.
The official trailer will be released as soon as it becomes available from the distributor.
Following the acclaimed short film Wren Boys (2018), this project is an adaptation of Adam Mars-Jones's novel Box Hill. Harry Lighton reimagined the story, originally set in 1975, shifting it to the contemporary London suburbs to deepen the mystery surrounding Ray and to update the family and social dynamics. Principal filming took place mainly in Bromley, southeast London—a town known for its punk rock heritage—while cinematographer Nick Morris’s visuals draw inspiration from Nick Waplington’s exploration of suburban domestic life.
To build the motorcycle club, the production partnered with GCCBM, the UK's leading LGBT+ motorcycle club, and included non-professional members on screen to ensure a more authentic portrayal. Alexander Skarsgård drew inspiration from Kenneth Anger's Scorpio Rising to shape his character, blending classic biker imagery with subtle homoerotic undertones.
Straddling the lines between comedy, drama, and romance, Pillion delves into the power dynamics and desires within an unconventional queer relationship. The film is part of a fresh wave of LGBT+ cinema that focuses on complex characters and underrepresented communities, echoing the style of contemporary British indie dramas.
Pillion
Film | 2026
Release date in theaters: March 4, 2026
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance, Erotic | Duration: 1h47
Directed by Harry Lighton | Starring Harry Melling, Alexander Skarsgård, Georgina Hellier
Original title: Pillion
Country: United Kingdom
With this modern take on Box Hill, Harry Lighton delivers his debut feature focused on intimacy, power dynamics, and the search for identity—all set against a backdrop rarely explored on screen. Driven by a direction that keenly observes bodies and spaces, Pillion stands out as a distinctive piece in contemporary British queer cinema.
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