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“Pillion” Brings the “DomCom” to the Big Screen

(02/12/26 9:33pm)

Harry Lighton’s feature-length directorial debut “Pillion” brings a new genre to the big screen – get ready for the “dom com.” The film stars Harry Melling as Colin, a mild-mannered parking attendant who still lives with his parents, and Alexander Skarsgård as Ray, an imposing, emotionally unavailable biker who puts the “dom” in the “dom com.” The movie explores the unconventional dynamic between them, especially as Colin begins to devote more and more of his life to Ray. Larisa: I’m always a sucker for an intense love story, so I was very excited to see “Pillion,” and the idea of it being a “dom com” was especially intriguing since that’s not exactly a common genre of film to hear about. I think there’s a lot to enjoy in the movie: For one, Harry Melling provides a strong emotional component that really brings the film to life. The story really focuses on him, and his character development drives the plot forward. Melling portrays Colin with the right mix of humor, self-consciousness and devotion needed to seem realistic, while also having what I can only describe as the sadness of a kicked puppy. Alexander Skarsgård also brought his character to life, although Ray’s demeanor and emotions don’t really fluctuate throughout the film. While being closed off and stagnant is a key part of Ray’s characterization, his character felt a bit one-dimensional at times, which is one of the critiques I have about the movie. Colin is what I would call a “baby gay” at the start of the movie, and doesn’t have any experience with sub/dom relationships at the start of the movie, and, it seems, barely any experience with relationships in general. When he meets Ray, we can see him start to come out of his shell, even though he’s catering to Ray’s wants and needs while ignoring his own. I think the film does a good job of depicting an unhealthy sub/dom dynamic, though at times it does feel a bit glorified. The film depicts Colin and Ray’s relationship as not the norm in this community, and shows other sub/dom relationships within Ray’s biker group that are more emotionally regulated. To me, the movie was less a romantic love story and more of a self-love story. In his dynamic with Ray, Colin finds himself and learns more about what he actually wants and needs in a relationship. It’s moreso a story about learning to put yourself first, even when you have what Colin describes as “an aptitude for devotion.” While I think the messaging is ultimately uplifting, I do wish there was more romance in the movie. The film centers on Colin’s character and, in turn, leaves Ray feeling a bit like a cardboard cutout of a “biker dom” stereotype. Although it wasn’t meant to be deeply interpersonal, I think the relationship between Colin and Ray feels underdeveloped, especially as the film progresses and their relationship continues. I also wish we saw more of Colin’s transformation into a member of Ray’s biker group. There’s a scene where he walks out with his head shaved, a pivotal moment for his character, and I wish the audience were able to see that play out rather than have it just be something that happened off-screen. Overall, “Pillion” is a fun and unique film and a wonderful directorial debut for Harry Lighton. This is a must-see for queer cinema fans, but it is R-rated, so be careful taking your family!Gib: I remember when this movie was first announced, and everyone found out the guy who played that horrible kid in Harry Potter was going to star in a romantic comedy film that took a deep dive into sub/dom relationships within the queer community. Who would have thought? Not me, certainly, but I’ll watch almost anything that has a British guy getting a little gay with it. Overall, the driving force here happens to be that horrible kid, actor Harry Melling, who plays timid British man, Colin. His performance here holds the emotional core, humor, story and driving force for the entire film. “Pillion” would have been far less intriguing without such a strong leading performance. Melling is charming, despite his being very scared the entire time, and the entire point of his character is that he is weak and submissive. I would even say that he dominates the screen every time he appears, with a very strong emotional core. Melling is hilarious here, with his awkwardness creating an environment that is never too tense despite the occasional strong topics, and showing the audience that his character is a genuinely kind and caring person, especially through his interactions with his parents throughout the film. He is the kind of character, though, who lets himself be mistreated constantly so as not to upset anyone, which is thankfully something that he grows out of throughout the film.Unfortunately, where the film falls short for me is the "romantic" aspect of the romcom, which I guess makes sense given that it’s been referred to instead as a “dom com”. The chemistry between Colin and Alexander Skarsgård’s character, Ray, isn’t fully there for me, partly because of the fact that Ray doesn’t really develop at all during the film’s runtime. This isn't to say that Skarsgård did a poor job in this role; in fact, I think he portrayed this emotionally unavailable and closed-off character very well. However, given the nature of the relationship and who Ray is, the emotional development between the two is stagnant and nearly nonexistent. One of the only times there is any emotional core between the romantic leads comes only after a tragedy befalls Colin, and the audience barely sees them have a conversation until one-third through the movie. This aspect is even in stark contrast to the other members of Ray’s gay biker gang, who are in similar sub/dom relationships, but still have what seems to be genuine care for each other. All of this does seem to be the point, though, as it is stated multiple times that the relationship here is not meant to be a romantic one. The issue is that it seems the film wants to still depict it as one, with Melling’s character’s devotion and eagerness to please, along with lingering touches and star-crossed gazes. Unfortunately, though, I mostly just wanted Colin to get the hell out of there. This is a story about devotion, not love, really. So to those who are reading this, go enjoy your dom/sub relationships if you please, just develop those boundaries, people!

https://www.blazeradioonline.com/article/2026/02/pillion-brings-the-domcom-to-the-big-screen

“The Moment” Bids a Final Goodbye to Brat

(02/12/26 9:33pm)

Charli XCX’s mockumentary “The Moment” perfectly pairs concert film hype with comedic undertones and pop star existentialism. The new film, directed by Aidan Zamiri, depicts a fictionalized retelling of Charli XCX’s Brat summer arena tour. “The Moment” stars Charli XCX as herself, Alexander Skarsgård as incompetent concert film director Johannes and Rosanna Arquette as Tammy, a record label executive trying to push the Brat hype as far as it can go. Rachel Sennott, Kylie Jenner, Julia Fox and Mel Ottenberg play themselves in hilarious cameo roles throughout the movie. What I liked the most about this movie was how emotionally open it felt. Although it was a fictionalized account, the anxiety and pressure to perform that Charli portrays felt very raw and honest. As Brat Summer is starting to wind down, we see her fears of fading into obscurity after the album cycle, paired with the fear of having to push the “brat agenda” for the rest of her career. As the album becomes increasingly commercialized, we can see her start to emotionally check out of the project before she shifts into a full panic. The events of the film seem to mirror a lot of what happened in real life toward the end of the tour she went on with Troye Sivan. As the actual “Sweat Tour” came to an end, she went back and forth between saying things like “goodbye forever brat summer” and “brat summer forever,” two obviously incredibly conflicting messages. Even the delay in changing her old album covers back to their originals, rather than the “brat-ified” versions, feels like a symbolic way of clinging to what was, at the time, the highest point of her career. In the film, this fear is portrayed incredibly well and is further driven by (seemingly) well-meaning comments from other characters about her age and her rise to popularity in the industry. Another aspect of the film I thought was incredibly interesting was the cinematography. Shot like an authentic concert documentary, the camera never feels out of place in scenes. The footage feels incredibly vulnerable, even when scenes are being played for laughs. The use of Charli’s music throughout the movie also stands out, and every song included feels intentional and personal. While Charli did an amazing job portraying herself, another standout performance was from Skarsgård. His character, Johannes, is the concert film director who is trying to completely change and “sanitize” Charli’s creative vision. He plays up the complete ridiculousness of his character while still conveying the director’s imposing nature. It makes sense that the only person who can effectively “kill” Brat is Charli, and I think this film is her final goodbye to that era. I think there’s significance in the fact that right as “The Moment” comes out, the release of “Wuthering Heights” is just around the corner. She’s laying the groundwork for her next project, which seems to be a complete tonal shift from Brat. “The Moment” is a bittersweet goodbye to a career-defining and culturally significant period in her life, but leaves fans looking ahead to what the rising star will do next.

https://www.blazeradioonline.com/article/2026/02/the-moment-bids-a-final-goodbye-to-brat

The Wild West Review: Shelter

(02/09/26 8:05pm)

The A-List recently had the opportunity to see the new Ric Roman Waugh film “Shelter,” starring Jason Statham, Bodhi Rae Breathnach, Bill Nighy, Naomi Ackie, and Daniel Mays. We also had the wonderful opportunity to interview Mr. Waugh, who was kind enough to spend some time with us and discuss his new film in depth. You can read that article here. Shelter follows a former assassin living in self-imposed exile on a remote island, who rescues a young girl from a deadly storm. As their lives start to intertwine, he must protect the orphan while battling enemies from his past.“Shelter” wide released in theaters on January 30. We’d like to thank Allied Global Marketing for the opportunity to cover this film (as always), and another big thanks to Ric Roman Waugh for speaking with us. With all that out of the way, let’s get into the review!Larisa: While Shelter provided a little over an hour and a half of action-packed entertainment, I feel as though the execution of the film’s plot and dialogue fell flat and leaned into the cookie-cutter stereotype of this genre of espionage action movies. Ric Roman Waugh’s second theatrical release of the month, although exciting, lost its footing in the world-building aspects.In Shelter, Jason Statham portrays Michael Mason, a reclusive ex-MI6 agent who is living in self-exile on a remote island with his dog. Bodhi Rae Breathnach, who recently starred in Oscar nominated movie Hamnet, plays Jessie, a young girl who runs supplies to Mason’s island and ends up getting stranded and pulled into his mysterious life. To begin, the plot structure had good bones that I feel could have been elaborated on. The themes of government surveillance and going against “just following orders” feel especially relevant in today’s political climate, but the topics fell short in the overall scope.Without spoiling any major details, I felt the themes didn’t serve any purpose beyond moving the plot forward without providing any commentary on the topics themselves. Although Mason is seen as being in the right for his actions of not blindly following orders, there’s no clear resolution to his actions. As for the government surveillance aspect, the audience only sees the technology used as a tool. While a conversation about the necessity of such technology is opened, there’s no final answer on its justifiability in either real life or the movie.The dynamic between Michael Mason and Jessie is, to me, the most compelling aspect of the movie, but it still felt underdeveloped. While the found family trope is one of my favorites, it didn’t feel to me as though they truly spent enough time together to warrant the level of closeness the film portrayed, aside from trauma bonding or a Stockholm Syndrome scenario. While the father-daughter-esque relationship did make me root for the characters, I more so felt worried for Jessie’s character throughout the film. However, Waugh did a good job directing the uncertainty in Mason’s mind over whether he should stay with Jessie or split off from her for her own protection.The stunts and action shots did make the movie more compelling. The audience can see Waugh’s former experience as a stuntman come through in these sequences, which not only moved the plot forward but also held the audience’s interest. To me, the standout performance in this movie was by Breathnach, who really brought her character of Jessie to life. This is Breathnach’s action debut, and I feel she did a fantastic job capturing the heart of the genre. While Shelter may not be one of my favorite releases this year, I do feel it is a fun movie to watch with family and friends who are fans of the action genre!Spencer: Welp, looks like Ric Roman Waugh lost the Jason Statham lottery for 2026. By that I mean that every year, some director is forced to make the same Jason Statham movie, in which he plays a stoic, no-nonsense badass with superhuman martial arts abilities and a strong moral code. When I say this happens every year, I mean every year. 2025’s “The Working Man,” 2024’s “The Bee Keeper,” 2023’s “Expend4bles,” and “Meg 2: The Trench.” The list just goes on and on. Haven’t we had enough of Jason Statham playing the same character in every film? According to “Shelter,” no. “Shelter” follows Michael Mason, who used to work as a super-secret agent for the government, before he forces himself into self-exile after refusing a kill order from his superior. This is where we first meet Michael, in an abandoned lighthouse way off the coast. He has a dog and seems to endlessly drink. A young girl and her uncle bring Michael his alcohol and food each month, but never interact with him. When a storm suddenly hits as the young girl is bringing Michael his supplies, it results in the death of her uncle, and leads to Michael being forced to take care of her. Michael slowly learns to love again and makes it his mission to protect Jessie at any cost. The majority of the film is a chase to get Jessie somewhere safe and far away from the dangers Michael’s life poses. Along the way, Michael and Jessie form a sort of found family situation and become each other's family.Okay, so those are the basic plot lines of the film. Actually, that’s the entire film. Most of the movie consists of big chase scenes, gunfights and short conversations leading to big chase scenes and gunfights. I feel the movie really lacks genuine substance. It says very little about the impact of self-isolation, of found family, of protecting those you cherish most. Though the audience is supposed to feel like Michael cares deeply for Jessie, it feels more like he’s just going through the motions. The story doesn’t give much time for the relationship to develop, and they bond mostly over the danger of the situation, which doesn’t lend itself to much analysis. The best parts of the film are the action scenes, but even those can fall flat and drag on entirely too long. There are so many scenes of Michael being chased, shooting at government agents or engaged in hand-to-hand combat, with Michael, of course, ending up as the winner. These scenes can drag for 15-20 minutes at a time, and though the action can be visually very interesting at times, at some point, it just becomes a chore to get through. There are only so many times you can watch Jason Statham beat up a group of men before it becomes tiresome. This is my biggest issue with the film. I don’t think it said anything unique or significant about isolation, government overreach, or found family. The film barely scrapes the surface of those themes, instead leaving a majority of the runtime to the never-ending action scenes. Since the audience feels no connection to the characters and cares little about their motivations, there’s nothing to latch onto. Nothing makes the audience care about what happens to Michael and Jessie because these are characters that have no substance. You know Michael will wind up fine because that’s the way the film has to go, and you know Jessie will survive and create a life with Michael as her father, because that's just the way the film must go. The themes of government overreach hang over the entire film, yet there is never a definitive point made about it. There’s just government overreach, and Michael has to find his way through it to survive. It says nothing unique about the topic and doesn’t challenge the audience to look at it from a different perspective. There’s just nothing in the film to keep the audience engaged, and no definitive standpoint to take away by the end. It’s the type of movie you go see with grandma and grandpa because you know everyone will be able to watch the film and moderately enjoy it. But those are the kinds of films I dislike most, those that say nothing, show nothing, and leave you feeling empty by the end. The most unfortunate thing is that general audiences eat it up. Statham’s movies have grossed more than twice their budgets in recent years, making it basically a guarantee that similar mid-budget action films starring Statham will continue to be greenlit and produced. I’m hoping that the next Statham film actually says something of note and challenges the audience beyond the most surface-level critiques. I think Ric Roman Waugh is a talented director, but basic, boring action-drama films like “Shelter” contribute little to our cultural zeitgeist and detract from smaller-budget films that genuinely have something important to say. If you need a non-controversial co-worker movie to watch with the family, “Shelter” might just be your movie, but it simply was not my cup of tea.

https://www.blazeradioonline.com/article/2026/02/the-wild-west-review-shelter