EMILY KWONG, HOST:
This is a movie about an unconventional relationship. Specifically, it is a BDSM leather love story. And that may not be everyone's cup of tea, but that's exactly what's on the Valentine's Day menu from A24 films, in select theaters this month. "Pillion" stars Harry Melling as Colin, a timid man in a barbershop quartet, and Alexander Skarsgard as Ray, a domineering biker. Directed by Harry Lighton, the film follows Colin into Ray's world and into a back alley on their first date.
(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, "PILLION")
ALEXANDER SKARSGARD: (As Ray) What am I going to do with you?
HARRY MELLING: (As Colin) Whatever you want.
KWONG: And here to talk about what transpires between these two characters is lead actor Alexander Skarsgard joining us from Stockholm, Sweden. Heads up - there may be spoilers. Welcome to ALL THINGS CONSIDERED.
SKARSGARD: Thank you very much, Emily. Pleasure to being here.
KWONG: Across your career, you have played a lot of characters who struggle with emotion in one way or another. I remember first seeing you as a vampire in "True Blood" and how much was conveyed in your eyes. Even though your character couldn't take actions, maybe he wanted to. You played a sergeant. You played a robot. What emotional battle did you want to explore with Ray?
SKARSGARD: Well, Ray is - I've played some borderline enigmatic characters in the past, but Ray is fully enigmatic. Like, there's - he's very laconic, doesn't say much. He's - everything about him is a mystery, really. And again, without revealing too much about their relationship, but he doesn't tell Colin much about himself or his past.
KWONG: Yeah.
SKARSGARD: That excited me. I thought it was really brave screenwriting, but I tend...
KWONG: Yeah.
SKARSGARD: ...To gravitate towards characters that - where there is something going on under the surface. Like, they don't explicitly say what they're thinking or feeling.
KWONG: One thing I'm wondering is we never really saw a scene where Colin and Ray discussed their limits or their...
SKARSGARD: No.
KWONG: ...Boundaries.
SKARSGARD: No.
KWONG: What do you think about that choice?
SKARSGARD: Well, it was a creative choice. Quite often, there will be a contract, basically - sometimes a written contract between the submissive and the dominant about what the rules are, and it's stated very clearly in the beginning. We needed consent, but we also wanted - so much of the movie is about Colin discovering - like, being on this journey and discovering what the rules are. And so - and you kind of - if you show the audience five minutes into the movie exactly what the rules are, you kind of lose some of the suspense. So that was a creative choice to kind of have - we needed a moment. And that's - I think the little clip you played was that moment, when they're on the first date in a back alley, in Bromley in South London, and Ray says, what am I going to do with you? And Colin answers, whatever you want.
KWONG: Yeah.
SKARSGARD: His, basically, verbal consent to, like - I'm your submissive here.
KWONG: I loved watching these two characters deepen their connection with each other as the film went on. And I think one of the most interesting moments - and this is true of a lot of couples - right? - where they have their private world, but then they have to reconcile that world with their community...
SKARSGARD: Yeah.
KWONG: ...Their friends and their family. And there's that fantastic scene with Colin's mother and father at the dinner table, where things really come to a head.
(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, "PILLION")
LESLEY SHARP: (As Peggy) I'm not sure I like the way you talk to my son.
SKARSGARD: (As Ray) Well, that is fine. It's not for you to like.
SHARP: (As Peggy) Excuse me?
SKARSGARD: (As Ray) I can see that I make you uncomfortable, that our relationship makes you uncomfortable. But deciding that what makes you uncomfortable is bad for your son, honestly, that's a pretty backwards way of thinking.
KWONG: And that's Lesley Sharp and Douglas Hodge playing Peggy and Pete, Colin's parents. But what's striking about this is here are two people saying they know what's best for Colin.
SKARSGARD: Yeah.
KWONG: You have his mom saying what's best for him, and you have his paramour saying what's best for him.
SKARSGARD: Yeah.
KWONG: And it occurred to us that they're both the dom (ph), kind of telling him what to do. Where is Colin in all of this - in that scene?
SKARSGARD: Yeah. Some people have mentioned that Colin's parents have a - she's definitely the dominant of the two there in their relationship. But in a way - and that's why I thought that scene was so beautifully constructed and so interesting to shoot because I can empathize with Peggy, Colin's mother, 'cause she's concerned. And to be honest, like, in that moment in the movie, Colin is starting to question, like, is this...
KWONG: Yeah.
SKARSGARD: ...The relationship I want? Am I happy, or can I be happier? I mean, I'm in love with Ray. But...
KWONG: Yeah.
SKARSGARD: It's his first relationship, so he's figuring out, like...
KWONG: Oh.
SKARSGARD: ...Like, you know, anyone in their first relationship. Like...
KWONG: It takes me back...
SKARSGARD: ...Is this right or not?
KWONG: It takes me back to my early dating life.
SKARSGARD: Yeah. Yeah.
KWONG: Yeah. It sounds like every day on set was a surprise. And I would say - I mean, what's cool about a film like "Pillion" - I think it's worth noting that it is from a first-time director who also wrote the screenplay. And I think sometimes Hollywood, and sometimes viewers, don't take risks with...
SKARSGARD: No.
KWONG: ...First-time artists.
SKARSGARD: I didn't know who Harry Lighton was. He had directed a couple of really fantastic short films that I've seen since. But when I read the screenplay, I didn't know anything about him. But just - I thought it was an incredible screenplay. And again, it was totally so unique and so surprising, unconventional and bold and brave. And it was incredibly exciting, incredibly refreshing to read something like that. And just knowing that the guy who was going to direct it also wrote this gave me a lot of confidence 'cause I felt like he's an incredible writer, and, like, this felt idiosyncratic and different. And that excited me tremendously. And hopefully, the audience will feel the same when they see the film.
KWONG: We have been speaking with Alexander Skarsgard, who is in the new film "Pillion," which is in select theaters now and nationwide on February 20. Thank you so much for talking to me.
SKARSGARD: Thank you, Emily. It's been a pleasure. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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