PILLION Beautifully Blends Humor, Poignancy, and Biker Butts
Hey friends, Barbarella here. Step aside predictable rom-coms, there’s a new game in town: the dom-com. It’s awkward and joyful, sensual and somewhat cruel, offering a variety of experiences for a viewer. PILLION proves to be my first experience with a dom-com, and I love it! Is that love due to the storyline, the depth of the characters, the family relationships, or was it just how incredibly titillating Alexander Skarsgård is as Ray, the gay biker who finds a devoted partner in Harry Melling’s Colin? I can’t say for certain, but the latter definitely factors into the equation. There may not be as much poignancy as bare biker butts in Harry Lighton’s film, but to my pleasant surprise, there’s plenty.
The film artfully portrays the way an awkward a cappella singer so quickly falls under a dominant biker’s spell. One thing I so love about this movie is that even though there isn’t a ton of time delving into the characters’ psyches, the audience can still glean plenty from what’s not said or explored on screen. Both actors dive into the roles with abandon, making it clear that in this case, hiring straight actors to play gay roles completely makes sense. I can’t think of another actor, straight or gay, who could be so convincing in the role of Ray as Alexander Skarsgård proves to be. His looks combined with his soft-spoken, commanding demeanor make it 100% believable that Colin would continue to stick around, despite wanting something more than what