Pillion – Kink Representation in Popular Culture
from
Recon News
07 January 2026
By Dr Liam Wignall
Last week, I was in the cinema watching the movie Pillion. There was a scene where a guy was rimmed and then spit roasted over a plastic table. Sat next to me were two old ladies who at the end of the movie said, "I think I need some time to process what I watched."
Representations of kink within popular culture are never going to satisfy all audiences. As I've written in previous blogs, kink is a multifaceted concept, behaviour, and identity. It holds different meanings for people - there's no easy way to present all these different aspects of kink. Mainstream representations of kink also need to appeal to vanilla audiences – profits need to be made. While kinksters may enjoy fist-fucking on the big screen (and discussing if the acting is believable), non-kinksters may not be so open to this as Friday night viewing.
But these representations hold power – they change understandings, influence perceptions, and address (or perpetuate) stereotypes. Media examples should be critically discussed by the communities they seek to represent.
So that brings me to Pillion. Based on the book "Box Hill" by Adam Mars-Jones, the movie is about a BDSM relationship between Ray (Alexander Skarsgård), a Dominant, and Colin (Harry Melling), a submissive. It follows the development of their dynamic, with Colin being introduced to the world of kink, and blossoming from a kinky novice to a devoted submissive for Ray.
If you haven't seen it already and don't want any spoilers, it might be worth waiting to read the rest of the blog.
During interviews, Alexander has described the movie as a Dom-Com (a take on the Rom-Com or Romantic Comedy), and that's an accurate description. The film shows how Colin starts to fall in love with Ray (saying it explicitly to him), rescuing him from a mundane existence, and there is light-hearted humour throughout. In an interview with Mashable, I discussed how it has all the features of a traditional love story, including the Christmas setting.
While I'm not a movie critic, I recommend watching Pillion – it's a great movie. It's entertaining, there are funny scenes, and it's great to see Alexander Skarsgård acting a kinky sex scene nude on a very big screen. I've heard rumours of people walking out during some of the more explicit scenes, at some of the film showings. But on the evening I went, I was firmly stuck to my seat. Although, I did wonder which scenes were meant to be the explicit ones, and then realised my sense of explicit may have been impacted by researching kink for the last decade.
I enjoyed seeing a representation that was unashamedly gay male kink, something generally missing in mainstream media. Insiders could see nods to their subculture – the brands of gear worn, chains, necklaces with keys on, and the inclusion of authentic Leathermen in the background (some of whom are familiar to Recon members). Unlike 50 Shades of Grey, this was a film that had clearly worked with the kink community and was less obviously targeted solely for a heterosexual audience.
It's the last point that was the most heartwarming – demonstrations of real kinksters showing how kink is embedded in their lives. The subtle ways of representing power exchange dynamics, through sitting at your Dom's feet in the pub, using honorifics when communicating, and showing the intimacy of relationships and friendships within kink communities. In these instances, kink wasn't presented as this salacious and tantalising concept, but an intricate part of everyday interactions – something sorely missing from previous representations.
However, there were also some other examples of kink representation within the movie that need exploring.
While acknowledging the need to tell a story that would appeal in a mainstream cinema, Pillion provided some troubling representations of kink.
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The first problem is in the character of Ray. The movie presents Ray as a cool but distant kinkster, and a bit of a dickhead. He wants very clear roles in his kink – Ray as the Dominant and Colin to do whatever is asked of him. Ray isn't open to communication or adapting the roles - when the topic is brought up, it is quickly shut down. There is an exception with the passing of Colin's mother, but this quickly reverts to "normal" the following day.
This isn't an accurate depiction of a 24/7 kink dynamic and is problematic. It's arguably an abusive relationship in which Ray is taking advantage of Colin. I've researched 24/7 kink relationships and know people in them. It takes time to find out the wants, needs, desires, expectations, and limits for both involved. There is an open dialogue between the Dom and sub – something that was missing from Pillion.
Having a healthy example of this communication on screen would have been hugely beneficial for combatting stereotypes of kink. The general population may now view the relationship in Pillion as the norm, rather than an exception. Doms and subs may also think that this is an example of a healthy dynamic, which it isn't.
The second problem with Ray is how he avoids intimacy and is presented as incapable of love, making him seem cold and abusive. This stereotype of a loveless Dominant is a concerning stereotype and may lead audiences to assume that this is due to past trauma. A personal friend of mine, in complete opposition to the depiction said, "kinky people aren't kinky because they're too damaged to be anything else". The film is more complex than this, but Ray's story leant into the notion that he's into kink because he isn't functioning normally.
Ray may have specific ideas about what a kink relationship looks like. Close intimacy can lead to boundaries blurring and make it difficult for Ray to see Colin as a submissive/slave – it can be harder to give consensual abuse to somebody you're intimate with, even if it's what you both want. Discussing that on screen and explaining some of Ray's thinking may have helped the audience understand, rather than everything ending due to a kiss.
For me, that was the main thing missing from the movie – communication about the intricacies of the Dom/sub dynamic. There were definitely opportunities for this, such as Colin having his head shaved, that could have provided insight into how their relationship developed.
However, Pillion does provide examples of kink relationships in healthy and accurate ways. Not by the main characters, but in the background of the movie by the real kinksters. We see a gentle respect between the Doms and subs. We also hear Kevin (Jake Shears) discuss how he couldn't have the relationship Ray and Colin have, showing us that it's not a "normal" kink dynamic. When there are limited opportunities to present kink to mainstream audiences, prioritising things like intimacy and communication helps the audience understand the deepness of kink relationships.
Thankfully at the end of the movie, Colin realises the importance of communication and boundaries, creating a Grindr profile to find a Dom (which seems silly when fetish apps like Recon exist!), and outlining his wants and needs. The audience assumes that he recognised the mistakes in his previous kink dynamic and wants to find a healthier one, demonstrating personal growth. Sadly, the movie provides further unrealistic expectations when another beautiful Dom (Anthony Welsh) comes along straightaway for Colin to serve.
I wonder how many kinksters have seen the film and questioned or reflected on their own kink dynamic and how they communicate, or on the type of fetish relationship they might seek in the future?
***If you'd like to share a fetish or kink experience in a member article, send your ideas or a first draft to: social@recon.com
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