Alexander Skarsgård's New Movie Is So Explicit Critics Can't Stop Talking About It

Alexander Skarsgård's new film, Pillion, is making waves with its inherently kinky plot, but it's the emotional depth of the central relationship between Colin (Harry Melling, of Harry Potter fame) and Ray (the stunning mammoth Swede) that's garnered universal critical acclaim.

Harry Lighton's feature debut — adapted by Lighton and Adam Mars-Jones from the latter's novel Box Hill— is a "dom-com," as Skarsgård dubbed it. Translation? A romantic comedy exploring the romance between Skarsgård's charming biker, who's also an experienced dominant, and his submissive (Melling), who's new to the BDSM biker scene.

The film revved into limited theaters earlier this month and will enjoy a wider release starting Feb. 20.

What are critics saying?

At the time of publication, Pillion boasts a 99% Certified Fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Metacritic shows it currently holds a score of 85, which translates to one of the site's Must-See movies.

"It's basically what Fifty Shades of Grey should have been," The Guardian said in its 4-out-of-5-star review.

Affording the film a 3.5 out of 4, the Boston Globe commended the fact that "the sex scenes are refreshingly graphic, but they're never used for shock value." That's reserved for "how emotionally involved the characters become within the construct of their kink."

Pillion is a "quietly devastating ode to the power of that self-discovery," read RogerEbert.com's 4/4 review.

The New York Times applauded how it "deftly navigates between salacious and sweet, raunchy and romantic." The NRP echoed that it manages a perfect combo of "raunch" and "sweet positivity."

The Daily Beast called out the "very funny ... wry script, Skarsgård's deadpan, and Melling's guilelessness."

The Hollywood Reporter also honed in on Melling, for whom "it's a joy to watch ... come into his own."

Are audiences as on board?

They're a bit less enthusiastic across both RT and Metacritic, with 86% approval compiled by the former and a 6.6 "generally favorable" score on the latter.

One viewer dubbed it "bold and daring ... by portraying a BDSM relationship with honesty and nuance."

Another found the film conflating "celebrating an alternative lifestyle" with "giving license to an abusive relationship."

While one considered it a "sweet, compelling love story" and "brilliantly funny," another was lukewarm given it felt less like "a self-exploratory romance" than "about the importance of balance and strong boundaries."

How's it playing for awards season?

Pillion is up for three BAFTAs at present, including Outstanding British Film of the Year.

It's already won the Un Certain Regard - Screenplay Prize at the Cannes Film Festival and the Best British Independent Film at the British Independent Film Awards.