Film / Pillion

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Pillion is a Queer Romantic Comedy film based on the novella Box Hill by Adam Mars-Jones. The film is directed by Harry Lighton and distributed by A24, and it stars Harry Melling and Alexander Skarsgård.

Colin, a young man living with his parents and totally unsure of his direction in life, finds himself as the submissive to a handsome yet mysteriously stone-cold biker named Ray.

Pillion contains examples of:

• Adaptational Consent: On their first night together, Ray rapes Colin in Box Hill. This doesn't happen in the film, where Colin is naive, but everything he and Ray do is consensual.
• Adaptation Deviation: Box Hill and Pillion share the same initial premise but diverge in the end. In the novella, Colin goes on holiday with his parents and discovers upon his return that Ray has died in an accident, and is left wondering about him for the decades to come. In the film, Colin and Ray have a "day off" after which Ray disappears, never to be seen again.
• Ambiguous Ending: It's left completely unclear what the ultimate fate of Ray is at the end of the film as he completely vanishes. It's possible that after spending a romantic day with Colin, he realized he's not the unmovable stoic he thought he was and found it necessary to leave before things got any more complicated.
• Ambiguously Bi: While Ray is a member of an all male fetish-biker gang and is involved with Colin, his chest is tattooed with several traditionally feminine names: Rosie, Wendy, and Ellen. While Rosie is the name of his dog, the other names are never brought up so it's unclear if these are in fact past lovers or pets of his (or something else entirely).
• Badass Biker: Ray certainly fits the description. He only travels on his BMW Motorcycle and has the strong, masculine personality to match it.
• Betty and Veronica: On the biker gang's camping trip, Ray splits his time between Colin and Kevin, one of the other biker's submissives. Kevin is clearly more experienced and stronger than Colin, which only makes Colin's insecurity that he may not be enough for Ray worse.
• Bittersweet Ending: Colin is left to wonder where he went wrong with Ray after Ray vanishes with no clues as to his whereabouts, leaving their relationship with no proper closure. Colin does eventually heal and begins to look for someone else to connect with, and he is more assertive about what he's looking for in the relationship and his hard limits. The film ends with Colin's quartet singing a song about smiling through a broken heart, and the final shot is Colin's face falling into an ambiguous expression, leaving a question of how much he's actually over Ray despite finding a new partner.
• Death by Adaptation: Colin's mother survives Box Hill, but dies in the film.
• Defrosting the Ice Queen: On their "day off" Ray acts surprisingly romantic and affectionate towards Colin, even giving him his long awaited kiss. Unfortunately this can't last as he disappears without a trace immediately after showing this warmer side of himself.
• Desperately Looking for a Purpose in Life: Colin starts the film alienated from the world and completely unsatisfied with his life. Ray's high expectations and strict demands offer him a sense of purpose keeping him at Ray's command.
• Fanservice: Hoo boy. If you're hoping to see Alexander Skarsgård showing off his physique (and Prince Albert piercing) you've come to the right place. 
• Funeral Cut: After the montage of Colin and Ray's growing relationship, and Colin's poem We smash cut to Colin sitting a church pew, dressed in all black for his mother's funeral.
• Hell-Bent for Leather: Ray is consistently dressed in full leather biker gear matching his dominant personality. Though his clothes do serve a practical protective purpose and differs a bit from the Tom-of-Finland biker look. The director even said that he wanted to forgo a classic Leatherman look in favor of more practical, Eurobiker styles.
• Important Haircut: After becoming Ray's full-time submissive, Colin is given a buzz cut most likely at Ray's command. This particular order ruffles Colin's mother, as he's always liked his beautiful curls. After Ray departs, one of Colin's boundaries for future partners is that he won't cut his hair.
• Kavorka Man: Colin's friends are absolutely shocked that he — an awkward, shy, average-looking man living with his parents in his thirties — has managed to pull a tall, handsome, sexy man like Ray.
• Making Love in All the Wrong Places: Ray and Colin's first date involves Ray convincing Colin to give him a blowjob in an alley off the main street. On Christmas Day.
• Pet the Dog: When Colin breaks down while cooking dinner for Ray after his mother's funeral, he delibrately burns his hands and spills the dinner. Ray drops the dom act to comfort him and treat his burns, later ordering pizza (during which he tells corny jokes) and letting Colin sleep in his bed with him.
• Power Dynamics Kink: Unsurprisingly this is the basis of Ray and Colin's relationship. Colin must do domestic chores for Ray, is expected to sleep on the floor, and is not allowed to argue or ask for more. Their relationship is strained once Colin starts demanding concessions that any other sub might expect.
• Power is Sexy: Colin's attraction to Ray solely rests on Ray's strict demands and cold demeanor.
• Romantic Ride Sharing: It is a movie about bikers after all! Collin often gets to ride with Ray on Ray's motorcycle, an experience which is framed in a very romantic and free way.
• Roses Are Red, Violets Are Blue...: Colin reads a poem written in this style dedicated to Ray.
• Screw This, I'm Out of Here!: After their day off, Ray drops off the face of the Earth leaving Colin behind without a word.
• Sleeping Single: Ray gets to sleep in his bed, while Colin is expected to sleep on the rug at the foot of the Bed.
• Spared by the Adaptation: Box Hill ends with Ray dying in a road accident while Colin is on vacation abroad. He survives in the film, though another character (Colin's mother) suffers a Death by Adaptation instead.
• Straight Gay: Ray comes off as quite stoic, rigid, and masculine and is always the one in charge between him and Colin.
• Undying Loyalty: Colin will happily do practically anything Ray tells him to do, from doing his chores to cooking him meals and even sleeping on the floor. Within their dynamic anything Ray says goes with little room for Colin to plead his case or argue.