(Edinburgh, UK / December 8, 2025) – Dr. Lori Beth Bisbey shares expert commentary in a new article from The Guardian, which explores the psychological depth and cultural resonance of UK indie film Pillion.
“Pillion feels very true to its roots as a movie about leather. As a leatherwoman, I thought it was absolutely brilliant. I loved the tension, and it’s funny as hell. It’s also incredibly hot,” said the GSRD therapist, sex and intimacy coach and psychologist, who praised the film’s realism and bold sexuality.
She also addressed the absence of explicit consent scenes: “I think it’s perfectly ethical not to include what may have been a lengthy negotiation… but sometimes there isn’t a conversation, and people decide to take risks. I’m all for people making their own decisions about taking those risks, as long as they’re able to assess them.”
Discussing the emotional power dynamics between the two main characters, Bisbey adds, “Ray may need to be in control because that’s how he manages emotion… He loses control, it doesn’t feel safe to him. It’s harder to tell with Colin. He gains the ability to speak more about what he wants, now that he understands what’s being asked of him.”
On the film’s raw, explicit intimacy, she notes, “The sex in this movie is so impressive. It looked incredibly real… with this, it’s raw. That will challenge a lot of people.”
Read the full article, “’BDSM on Screen Used to Just Mean a Gimp in the Basement’: the Kink Community’s Verdict on Pillion”, at TheGuardian.com.
To learn more about Dr. Lori Beth Bisbey’s work, visit DrLoriBethbisbey.com and her Linktree.
ABOUT DR. LORI BETH BISBEY:
Dr. Lori Beth Bisbey is a clinical psychologist, accredited advanced GSRD therapist, sex/intimacy coach, author, speaker and podcast host based in Edinburgh. With more than 30 years helping people create and sustain meaningful and exciting relationships, Dr. Bisbey specialises in GSRD (gender, sexuality, relationship diversity), is consensual non-monogamy and kink BDSM knowledgable and helps traumatised people to move from victim to survivor and back into life.
On a mission to create an open dialogue about sex, relationships and authenticity, Dr Bisbey is the Specialist Relationship Therapist on Open House: The Great Sex Experiment on Channel 4, and host of the weekly podcast The A to Z of Sex®, as well as a passionate speaker, dynamic workshop facilitator and sought-after expert in the media on the topics of sex, sexuality, intimacy, relationships and sexual trauma.
Dr. Bisbey is the author of Chopping Wood, Shaping Metal & Other Erotic Stories, Dancing the Edge to Reclaiming Your Reality: Essential Life Skills for Gaslighting (and Trauma) Survivors and Dancing the Edge to Surrender: An Erotic Memoir of Trauma and Survival, and identifies as a queer consensually non-monogamous leather woman, and is in a full-time authority transfer-based relationship with her husband. To learn more, visit DrLoriBethBisbey.com.
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