May 18, 2025: Cannes 2025 lit up with both intensity and intrigue as Pillion, the audacious feature debut of director Harry Lighton, premiered to thunderous acclaim in the Un Certain Regard section. The provocative film, starring Alexander Skarsgård and Harry Melling, received a rousing seven-minute standing ovation, underscoring its bold blend of eroticism, emotion, and subversive storytelling.
One of the night’s most unforgettable moments came when Skarsgård, clad in leather trousers, hugged an audience member dressed in a gimp mask, as cheers echoed through the Palais. It was a quintessentially Cannes spectacle — a fusion of avant-garde cinema and unapologetic celebration.
Introducing the film, Lighton declared that he aimed for Pillion “to make you laugh, make you think, make you feel — and make you horny,” setting the tone for a genre-defying experience.
Pillion tells the story of Colin (Melling), a meek, unremarkable man stuck in the monotony of suburban life, until he crosses paths with Ray (Skarsgård), the charismatic and commanding leader of a queer motorbike club. Drawn into a world of power play, ritual, and sensual rebellion, Colin becomes Ray’s full-time submissive. But as the boundaries blur and the layers of control deepen, Colin must confront whether he’s found freedom or simply traded one cage for another.
Adapted from Adam Mars-Jones’ novel Box Hill — winner of the 2019 Fitzcarraldo Editions Novel Prize — the film was penned by Lighton himself and produced by Element Pictures, the acclaimed studio behind award-winning films like The Favourite, Poor Things, and Kinds of Kindness.
For Skarsgård, known for The Northman and HBO’s Succession, this marks a sensational return to Cannes since his 2011 appearance with Melancholia. Harry Melling, best known for his role in the Harry Potter series, makes his Cannes debut with a performance that’s already drawing critical praise for its vulnerability and edge.
With its electric mix of queer identity, dominance and submission, and personal awakening, Pillion positions itself as one of the most daring and talked-about films of the festival — a fearless dive into the politics of pleasure and the intimacy of power.