Trailer for A24’s Queer Biker Romance Pillion Fuses Kink and Comedy

Listen to this article

The first trailer for Harry Lighton’s debut feature Pillion doesn’t hold back. Adapted from Adam Mars-Jones’ cult novel Box Hill, the film drops us into the queer biker underground, where leather, kink, and comedy collide in surprising tenderness.

At its center is Colin (Harry Melling), a meek parking officer whose life cracks open one Christmas Eve when he meets Ray (Alexander Skarsgård), the hulking leader of a local motorcycle gang. Their relationship begins as a dom/sub arrangement but quickly unravels into something far less definable: a sexual awakening, a comedy of awkwardness, a bruised romance, and a coming-of-age story all at once. The Hollywood Reporter described Pillion as “a fearless, cheeky delight.”

Skarsgård and Melling play out a dom/sub relationship that becomes, in its strange way, a portrait of queer intimacy rarely seen on screen. After winning over audiences at Cannes, the film seems set to redefine what a queer love story can look like in 2026. The trailer leans into moments of awkward and sweet humor. The film doesn’t seem interested in shock value alone.

Pillion has already situated itself as one of the most surprising crowd-pleasers of the year. Critics have pointed out its wildly unique tone. Lighton himself put it best when he told festival audiences he hoped the film would “make you laugh, make you think, make you feel, and make you horny.”