2023 Rewind: Why is Alexander Skarsgård Wearing a Dog Collar?

This piece is part of EDGE's 2023 Rewind series. We're reaching into our archives and sharing some of our favorite stories from the past year.

Easily one of the most buzz-worthy films at this year's Sundance Film Festival is "Infinity Pool," the latest horror offering from Brandon Cronenberg. If that name is familiar, it is because he is son of horrormeister David Cronenberg. With two films under his belt, his third, which opens on January 27 in theaters, promises to be his most controversial.

Set in an unknown Eastern European country, the film stars Alexander Skarsgård as a struggling novelist with a wealthy wife who visits a gated resort. There, they meet Mia Goth and her husband, and find themselves involved in a violent game of identity change, murder, drug taking, and sexual hijinks. One scene that has tongues wagging features Goth jerking off Skarsgård in full view of the camera. Note that according to the Hollywood Reporter, "Neon is opening 'Pool' in theaters Jan. 27 with an R-rating but the cut that screened at Sundance was NC-17." It is not known if the scene in its entirety will be in the released version.

For his part, Skarsgård clearly enjoys pushing the envelope, as he did at the film's red carpet by wearing a dog collar.

It evokes a moment in the film that Neon, the company releasing the film, used in their promotional materials.

Vulture describes Skarsgård in a dog collar as "a gift from the Greek gods of horny." While Pajiba.com writes: "We love a self-aware hunk, and Skarsgård does it better than 99% of the tall, white, hot dudes who have somehow become more fandom-beloved than he. Let's hope he wears the collar for the entirety of the 'Infinity Pool' promotional cycle. Shirt optional."

On Twitter, Skarsgård is getting much attention: