Forget the annual debate over whether Die Hard qualifies as a Christmas film; a new contender has emerged that captures the true spirit of the season. Harry Lighton's breakout film, Pillion, released last week, offers a fresh take on festive cinema by exploring themes of queer relationships and non-conformity against a Christmas backdrop.
Based on Adam Mars-Jones's novel Box Hill, Pillion follows the sub/dom relationship between biker Ray, played by Alexander Skarsgård, and Colin, played by Harry Melling. Set in suburban Bromley, the film's first portion takes place during Christmas, with Ray asking Colin for a date on Christmas Day at 5pm round the back of Primark. The contrast between Colin's warm, traditional family home—complete with novelty jumpers and Christmas crackers—and Ray's spartan, leather-clad world highlights the tension between heteronormative domesticity and queer relationships.
Lighton has stated that he wanted to comment on how queer relationships do not fit inside the mould of traditional domesticity that Christmas often encapsulates. The film's unsentimental tone and focus on BDSM dynamics make it far from family viewing, yet it offers a thought-provoking alternative to typical festive fare.
The British Board of Film Classification recently polled the public on whether Die Hard should be considered a Christmas film, with 44% saying no and 38% in favour. While some argue that Christmas is merely a backdrop in action films, Pillion uses the season as intellectual terrain, much like Stanley Kubrick's Eyes Wide Shut (1999), which employed Christmas trees to parody hyper-consumerism in New York.
For those seeking a Christmas film that balances cynicism and nostalgia, Pillion may be the perfect choice. It joins the ranks of films like Steven Spielberg's Catch Me If You Can (2002), which features one of the best festive sequences in cinema history. This gay biker dom-com reminds us that the finest Christmas films reflect the complexities of the season, not just its schmaltz.
