William Shatner has spent decades being associated with strange new worlds, but his latest cinematic discovery involves Alexander Skarsgård, biker leathers and a very different kind of voyage.
The 95-year-old Star Trek actor has enthusiastically praised Pillion, the queer relationship drama starring Skarsgård and Harry Melling.
Captain Kirk discussing a gay BDSM film is quite the pop-culture crossover, and his response gives us something more interesting than a raised eyebrow.
A surprising recommendation
Speaking with Brent Spiner and Jonathan Frakes on Dropping Names …and other things, Shatner called it “the most incredible movie,” according to PinkNews’s report.
He said the film gave him insight into intimacy and relationship dynamics between men that had previously been unfamiliar to him.
The conversation appears in the podcast’s October 7 episode, listed on its official PodcastOne page.
What stands out is his willingness to be interested in a story outside his own experience.
There is something refreshing about hearing an older screen legend respond to queer cinema with enthusiasm and a desire to understand.
What caught his attention?
Written and directed by Harry Lighton, Pillion pairs Melling as the shy Colin with Skarsgård as the imposing biker Ray.
Distributor A24 describes the premise as a timid man being swept into a relationship in which he becomes a handsome biker’s submissive.
The British Council’s film listing adds an important complication: as Colin enters this new community, he begins questioning whether round-the-clock submission is what he actually wants.
That makes the story about more than the initial attraction, however distracting Skarsgård in leathers might be.
It also raises questions about belonging, devotion and the space a person has to discover his own needs.
One story can open a door
It is worth keeping the scope of Shatner’s discovery clear: this is one particular relationship within gay BDSM culture, rather than a guide to how gay men generally love.
No single romance could carry that responsibility, whether its characters wear biker boots or matching wedding suits.
Queer cinema is richer when it has room for complicated, specific people whose experiences do not need to stand in for an entire community.
For viewers, the invitation can be simpler: pay attention to someone whose desires or choices differ from yours.
You might recognize a feeling even when the circumstances are unfamiliar.
And at 95, Shatner is still finding a film that makes him want to talk about what he has discovered.
That is a rather lovely reason to keep watching.
If his enthusiasm has made you curious about the balance of tenderness and discomfort in Pillion, Lighton’s interview with Sight and Sound offers a revealing next stop, exploring the contradictions he wanted to bring to the screen.
📷 A24