Alexander Skarsgård’s 2 New A24 Movies Are a Must-Watch Comedic Masterclass

Image via Chris Harris /© A24 /Courtesy Everett Collection

Published Mar 7, 2026, 4:45 PM EST

Liam Gaughan is a film and TV writer at Collider. He has been writing film reviews and news coverage for ten years. Between relentlessly adding new titles to his watchlist and attending as many screenings as he can, Liam is always watching new movies and television shows.

In addition to reviewing, writing, and commentating on both new and old releases, Liam has interviewed talent such as Mark Wahlberg, Jesse Plemons, Sam Mendes, Billy Eichner, Dylan O'Brien, Luke Wilson, and B.J. Novak. Liam aims to get his spec scripts produced and currently writes short films and stage plays. He lives in Allentown, PA.

There is always a fear that actors who become best known for their work on television won’t be able to have the same success in films because they are primarily known for one role. While Alexander Skarsgård has had a multitude of great television roles in True Blood, Big Little Lies, Succession, and Murderbot, his film choices have been far less traditional. Outside of the occasional blockbuster like The Legend of Tarzan, Skarsgård seems to be content doing weird, unusual roles in arthouse titles. Skarsgård's range can be best observed in two new A24 films, Pillion and The Moment, which could both be broadly described as comedies, even if they have very different goals. While Pillion required Skarsgård to be as subtle and heartbreaking as he has ever been, The Moment showed a goofy side that proves his excellent Saturday Night Live appearance was by no means a fluke.

Pillion is the feature film directorial debut of Harry Lighton, and stars Skarsgård as an enigmatic biker who begins a BDSM relationship with the shy parking ticket distributor Colin (Harry Melling), whom he takes on as his submissive. The Moment is a mockumentary about the career of Charli xcx during the “Brat summer” phenomenon, and Skarsgård plays an obnoxious director assigned to make a concert film. Pillion is as sweet as The Moment is scathing, and both films unquestionably cater to niche audiences. That Skarsgård was able to make both films so funny without undermining their artistic ambitions indicates that he’s become an extremely versatile performer whose comedic potential is just getting unlocked.

'Pillion' and 'The Moment' Are Two Wildly Different Comedies

Pillion is one of the bravest LGBTQ films of recent years because it does not judge its characters and earnestly examines their expectations of both intimacy and affection. Skarsgård is tasked with playing a very mysterious character in Pillion because Ray rarely discloses personal information to Colin and tends to answer questions in the most straightforward way possible. While this could have become an idiosyncrasy used to stigmatize Ray’s proclivities, Skarsgård shows the confidence that the character has in who he is, and how he won’t stand to be judged. This is particularly evident in a scene in which Ray shares a meal with Colin’s parents, Pete (Douglas Hodge) and Peggy (Lesley Sharp), which is just as uncomfortable as it is hilarious. Ray often speaks about how it is not his job to make other people comfortable, and the same could be said for Skarsgård's performance. He is certainly charismatic through the subtle ways he makes Colin happy, but Skarsgård never feels like he is sanding off the character’s edges.

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By Liam Gaughan

Conversely, The Moment allows Skarsgård to play a character who, despite his absurdities, wouldn’t feel out of place within the contemporary music industry. Skarsgård identifies something particularly obnoxious in the character of Johannes Godwin because he claims to be an ally who is interested in supporting a female artist, but really wants to sabotage the Brat tour for the sake of turning a profit. It’s a fascinating performance because Skarsgård identifies the infuriating ways in which Godwin crosses the line by suggesting that Charli xcx could sanitize her material for the sake of making something more commercially appealing, yet less authentic. It’s funny because Skarsgård never seems to impose or raise his voice, yet still has a threatening aura because of the power that he wields. It’s not only an effective portrayal of toxic masculinity, but a great stand-in for any business types that can only see an artist for their worth. Ironically, the lack of passion that Godwin shows for Brat feels more robotic than Skarsgård's turn as an actual android on Murderbot.

Alexander Skarsgård Has Avoided Being Typecast

Skarsgård is a big enough draw that his involvement in two independent films helps to raise awareness and potentially draw in more audiences. Given how challenging it is for LGBTQ artists to see their stories represented onscreen, especially when it comes to a romantic comedy that is as deep as Pillion, it's remarkable that Skarsgård was able to so authentically deliver a performance that was consistent with Lighton’s vision. With The Moment, Skarsgård is actually doing the exact opposite of what his character does; instead of impeding The Moment from taking its unusual approach to satirizing the music industry, Skarsgård fits perfectly within the ensemble and feels naturalistic alongside figures like Mel Ottenberg and Rachel Sennott, who are playing fictionalized versions of themselves. Charli xcx’s fans may have gone to see The Moment regardless, but Skarsgård's involvement might spark the interest of more casual viewers who understand that he tends to choose quality projects.

It’s nice to see that Skarsgård is at the peak of his popularity, yet is still willing to challenge himself by taking on projects that may have been considered to be outside his comfort zone. This certainly doesn’t mean that he’s lost his ability to be a captivating leading man, as he turned in a fantastic lead performance recently in The Northman, but it shows that he’s not going to be boxed in and typecast in parts that feel derivative. Given that The Moment is already breaking independent box office records and Pillion earned several major award nominations, it's safe to say that his strategy is working. It’s always in an actor’s best interest to be in as many great films as possible, and to Skarsgård's credit, he’s amassing a filmography that is as high-quality as it is diverse.