Ray isn't real: My Thoughts on Pillion

When I expressed my interests in watching Pillion immediately my DMs on instagram was flooded with bad reviews from people I absolutely trust. And I get why the movie misses the mark but for me, I'm approaching the movie with this thought.... Ray isn't Real. I don't think Pillion was meant to be some intelligent movie, or some groundbreaking statement about BDSM. It honestly reminds me of a pulp story with blurred lines BDSM. If anything, it makes me want to check out the source material "Box Hill"as it has a subtitle, "A Story of Low Self-esteem". Something that seemed to upset people, Ray is too hot, Colin is too plain. Even the selling point in the trailer emphasizes the disbelief of someone like Colin being able to pull a man that looks like Ray, it's also said by a background character who seems to be Ray's coworker and it's totally insignificant other than Ray being too hot for Colin. That was very telling to me and Ray, he's a hyper masculine stereotype from the pages of a Tom of Finland comic. Sex and no personality. He's the gay fantasy many go into scenes looking for...I'll do it even better, he's the maledom fantasy that people go into a scene looking for. AND quickly, many folks would become a pick me, violating their own autonomy, just for someone like Ray to spit on them.

I honestly think the realest parts of the movie are Colin being uncertain about himself, overly willing to please someone to be part of something, imagining his parents were accepting of his life and if they weren't his overly handsome mysterious dom suddenly gains the dialog to defend him, his mother dying being a giant stress factor. It reminds me, the movie really isn't about BDSM, even though BDSM can be used to deal with stress and other things. I know the biggest hang up I've been told is that the movie is unrealistic to the scene and how the scene is currently established with protocol, RACK and SSC. I understand but the movie wasn't about teaching any of that. And if it were, would it prevent people from being up in arms about the bleeding of the underground into the mainstream. I didn't even feel the movie was that sensational, well I've looked at so many different forms of debauchery that it's hard to shock me but I don't feel the movie harmful. What stays in the dark is still in the dark and the curious will come seeking.

Original Note: I don't think Pillion is meant to be some intelligent movie, or some ground breaking statement about BDSM. It honestly reminds me of any typical pulp styled blurred lines BDSM story. If anything, it makes me want to check out the source material "Box Hill" as it has the subtitle, "A story of low self esteem". So I'm not going to engage with the outrage, it's a little absurd. Some people might find discomfort in it, because they see themselves in it, and with they had that voice that would have protected their autonomy. I also don't think it's the responsiblity of a movie to teach the general public protocol. If the public is curious they can seek out their own information but movies can create sensationlism that can become harmful to any culture or subculture across the board. Maybe Pillion is too whimical, too much of a fantasy but there in your face, there are the problems and the characters see the problems but they don't have their voice. And the end of the movie, they find their voice (kinda). Skarsgard plays that hyper masculine daddy dom fantasy trope we see in the comics, and Melling is really closer to reality.

It's not a BDSM movie, it's a movie that features BDSM and perhaps dealing with hidden feelins of shame. Not from Ray, from Colin. Ray could literally be considered a figment of Colin's imagination, him trying to find his identity. I think this is especially true because you have Colin's dying Mom, that's a major stress factor. Colin is a person coming fresh into their identity of a gay man and perhaps his only source material were the blank characters of a Tom of Finland comic. Hypermasculine appearance, little to no communication, and fucking.

In short, I think Collin was caught deep in his imagination. Otherwise, if Ray disappeared, why would the community he built up with the bikers disappear also.