US EditionFormer Harry Potter Actor Stars in X-Rated Film that Gets Eight Minute Standing Ovation
- Director Harry Lighton made his feature debut with Pillion, starring Harry Melling and Alexander Skarsgard, which premiered during the 2025 edition of the Cannes Film Festival.
- The film, based on Adam Mars-Jones' 2020 novel Box Hill, explores a queer BDSM relationship between two bikers in contemporary London.
- Pillion follows Colin, a shy traffic warden played by Melling, and Ray, a dominant biker played by Skarsgard, in a story about desire, power, and self-discovery.
- After its Cannes premiere, Pillion received a seven- to eight-minute standing ovation, with critics praising Melling's breakthrough role and Lighton's audacious direction.
- The film’s positive reception suggests growing interest in nuanced queer narratives and marks a notable career shift for Melling beyond his Harry Potter roles.
22 Articles
22 Articles
Pillion’s ‘kinky, vigorous, BDSM’ sex scenes: What critics are saying
The reviews are in for Pillion, and it’s apparently “what Fifty Shades of Grey should have been”. The debut feature from Harry Lighton (Wren Boys), the gay drama will chronicle the romance between Colin, a “weedy wallflower letting life pass him by” who becomes the submissive of Ray, “the impossibly handsome leader of a motorbike club”. Harry Melling, known for his performance as Dudley Dursey in the Harry Potter series and as Harry Baltic in Th…
The Independent
The Independent (US)‘Graphic’ film featuring Harry Potter stars earns seven-minute ovation at Cannes
Pillion sees Harry Potter star Harry Melling enter a gay romance with the leader of a biker gang
Harry Potter star's X-rated film earns eight-minute standing ovation at Cannes
Pillion sees Harry Melling and Alexander Skarsgård’s characters strike up an interesting relationship (Picture: A24) Harry Potter star Harry Melling’s career has taken a very different turn following his days as Dudley Dursley in the wizarding franchise. The former child star, now 36, features as a key cast member in the X-rated movie Pillion. It had its first big screening over the weekend at Cannes Film Festival, and it seems a diversion from …
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