I've always had kind of a love hate relationship with Chinese historical BLs. Some are genuinely excellent, but then there are others that cram in so much plot that keeping track of all the layers of betrayal and scheming gets exhausting, and I end up checking out mentally. Part of the issue is also just how much content is out there in this space, so something really has to stand out to keep me hooked. In this case, the production value is genuinely impressive, top tier stuff, but story wise, I just couldn't bring myself to actually care about these characters. There's a ton of political scheming and backstage manipulation running throughout. Somewhere in the middle of all that chaos, a hostage ends up falling for his own Prince Charming. The show runs eight episodes, each around 50 to 60 minutes long. After spending three years guarding the border, Fifth Prince Yin Qi gets called back to the capital because of a secret letter, only to end up walking straight into a deadly...
If you’re into queer movies, you’ve probably heard people talking about this one for a while. I was honestly super excited to see it, especially with all the hype and the trailer making it look like this intense BDSM "Dom-com" romance. But I’ve got to be honest with you—I came away feeling a little underwhelmed. Technically, the movie is amazing, and I get why critics are obsessed with it, but I always feel like if I don't ever want to watch a movie a second time, it didn't quite hit the mark for me. The main thing to keep in mind is that you can’t try to judge these guys' desires as "healthy" or "weird." The movie isn't trying to lecture anyone; it just watches two people connect in a way they didn't know how to ask for.
The story is about Colin, a really shy and awkward guy who works as a traffic warden and still lives with his parents. His life is pretty heavy right now because his mom is dying of cancer. He has a random run-in with a hot biker named Ray, who gives him his number, and Colin thinks it’s going to be a normal date. Instead, it turns into this blunt, emotionless hookup in an alley. It’s totally transactional, but surprisingly, Colin finds he actually loves the feeling of pleasing Ray. He gets pulled into this strict Dom-sub relationship where Ray is totally in charge. Colin ends up cooking, cleaning, and even sleeping on the floor just to follow Ray’s commands. In return, he feels a sense of purpose he never had before. The title Pillion is about the back seat of a motorcycle, which fits perfectly since Ray is the one in total control. They have one nice "normal" day out together, but that actually freaks Ray out because he starts having real feelings he doesn't want to deal with. He ends up ghosting, leaving Colin totally lost. By the end, we see Colin on an app looking for a new master, but it looks like this time he might have a bit more of a say in things.
Alexander Skarsgård is perfect as Ray—he looks incredible in those leathers and has this cool, "cowboy" energy down perfectly. He’s completely in command of Colin, who just wants to make him happy. The movie also shows Ray’s wider community of BDSM bikers, and it’s actually kind of nice to see them sharing a lot of joy and friendship, which movies almost never show. It definitely gets explicit, and since this kind of relationship is probably new to a lot of viewers, it can be a bit of a tough watch. The film doesn't judge or try to make it look evil; it just treats BDSM as a real way to be intimate, even if it's risky. My biggest gripe was that we never really get to know what Ray is thinking the same way we do with Colin. Their intimacy is all about rules and trust rather than talking. There’s not a lot of dialogue, so you have to watch how Colin slowly changes. He’s not doing this because of some past trauma or anything; the movie just suggests that sometimes this is just what a person wants.
Even though it’s a really well-made movie with great acting, I just didn't find it as gripping or engaging as I expected. It’s definitely a bold choice for mainstream actors to take on a subject like this, and I respect that, but I really wish Ray’s character was as fleshed out as Colin’s. Colin is so obsessed with his hot lover that he ignores all the red flags, while Ray is clearly damaged in a way we never really get an explanation for. In the end, a real relationship was just more than he could handle.
It’s a daring and beautifully shot movie that dives deep into a misunderstood world, but the lopsided character development kept it from being a total favorite for me. (7/10)
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