Alexander Skarsgård has officially entered his kink era, and the internet is absolutely here for it.
The Swedish heartthrob rolled into the 2025 Cannes Film Festival to promote Pillion—a biker-meets-BDSM romance that’s already being dubbed “fun and filthy with heart.”
Produced by the Oscar-winning Element Pictures and based on the 2020 novel Box Hill by Adam Mars-Jones, Pillion tells the story of Ray (Skarsgård), the rugged, drop-dead handsome leader of a motorbike gang with more than a touch of alpha daddy energy. And who better to play his submissive lover than Harry Melling—yes, that Harry Melling. As in Dudley Dursley turned indie darling (The Queen’s Gambit, anyone?).
RELATED: Alexander Skarsgård and Harry Melling Go Deep (Emotionally and Otherwise)
The film premiered to a very receptive audience—let’s just say “submissive” wasn’t just in the script. Viewers were gagged in the best way possible, giving the cast and crew a well-earned seven-minute standing ovation. And what better way to mark the moment than with a cheeky little moment between two internet daddies?
During the applause, Skarsgård leaned in and planted a sweet kiss on Pedro Pascal’s cheek. Yes, that Pedro Pascal. Cue the fanfiction, cue the edits, cue the chaos. The interaction was brief, but it sent social media into a spiral of horny wholesomeness.
- “This is my new Roman Empire,” declared one viewer.
- “We need more men kissing confidently like this. Platonic and genuine. This is secure masculinity.”
- “Oh, I need a romance novel about this two,” added another.
- “How many times have you watched this?” About a hundred.
guys it’s a cheek kiss unfortunately 😭 pic.twitter.com/MgK3ZpjML4
— Sarah | dakota johnson supremacy (@sydglenx) May 19, 2025
It doesn’t help (or maybe it totally does) that Skarsgård arrived on the red carpet in a sleek black suit…paired with thigh-high kinky leather boots. You read that right. Leather boots. Thigh high. Daddy was in full character. We all remember Pedro’s own leather boot era, so can we PLEASE put these two in a queer movie together? Stat!
Critics are just as obsessed. In a glowing review for Deadline, Glenn Garner wrote:
“Lighton beautifully uses kink and BDSM as a playground to explore the longing and devotion that comes from unrequited love, as well as the balance of learning to love yourself and maintaining a sense of independence.”
In short? This isn’t just leather and longing—it’s cinema.
So whether you’re here for the bikes, the boots, or the bromantic kisses, Pillion is already shaping up to be one of this year’s boldest—and thirstiest—films. And if Cannes was any indication, we’re going to be talking about Ray, his boots, and his submissive lover for a long, long time.
REFERENCE: Deadline
““This is my new Roman Empire,” declared one viewer.”
And we all know what happened to the Roman Empire.