Subtitled “A Story of Low Self-Esteem,” the novel by Adam Mars-Jones — who co-wrote Pillion’s script with director Harry Lighton — chronicles the ups and downs of a BDSM relationship between kink newbie Colin and strapping sadist biker Ray, an often leather-clad (and un-clad) statuesque disciplinarian right out of a Tom of Finland fantasy.

The theatrical version which opened in early February in the U.S., and played until recently nationwide, stars Harry Melling as the besotted Colin and Hollywood’s current perverse, pansexual demigod on speed-dial, Alexander Skarsgård, as Ray. That version had lingering shots of Ray’s penis (a lifelike, girthy prosthetic), extended — and unusually graphic for mainstream — depictions of sex between the leads, and a hefty amount of Dolby-enhanced grunting and moaning.

That brief post neatly summarizes three key issues in modern free distribution and fandom: How many versions exist of each film being released? Which one are we watching at any given time? And was there really an earlier time, especially in the U.S., when standards-driven censorship of content was different, more lax, less infantilizing of audiences?

“There was one shot that went, and that was not because Harry Lighton got nervous,” Melling told EW. “In the alleyway scene, there was close-up on Ray’s penis as he sort of zipped down, and I think when they started to preview to audiences, they realized that this was a moment where the audience would react, and the tension would be released with laughter.”

Melling addressed rumors that there had been an original, pre-festival cut of Pillion that was “raunchier” than the version that was shown at Cannes in May 2025.

In various junket interviews they mentioned cut scenes of “a close up of a dick, a hard dick” aiming “down the barrel of the lens” as part of this “raunchier version” of Pillion.

How many versions of Pillion? What are they rated? And which one will be on HBO Max, VOD, maybe Criterion at some point.

There are only two main versions of the film. One is the Not Rated version, which was shown at festivals and then opened in February, and has the amount of prosthetic penis, butts, sex sounds and consistency of (prop) semen on Melling’s radiant post-coital face. (Lighton said the MPA requested changes involving “de-shining” that particular substance.)

The second version obtained R rating (“for sexual content, graphic nudity, and language.”) from the MPA last week.

Requested changes involved the amount of sexual content in the oral sex scene, the film’s signature wrestling scene, and the biker picnic sequence. The changes were described as “light edits” both of visuals and sounds.