THEME EXPLORATION

desperation and obsession

37 films · 3 directors

Tracing the thread…

FILMS THAT EXPLORE THIS
Ugly Story
Ugly Story
2026 · L. Pranava Swaroop
God’s Little Acre
God’s Little Acre
1958 · Anthony Mann
The Testament of Dr. Mabuse
The Testament of Dr. Mabuse
1933 · Fritz Lang
Audition
Audition
1999 · Takashi Miike
Great Expectations
Great Expectations
1946 · David Lean
Dillinger Is Dead
Dillinger Is Dead
1969 · Marco Ferreri
Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels
Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels
1998 · Guy Ritchie
Memento
Memento
2000 · Christopher Nolan
Parasite
Parasite
2019 · Bong Joon-ho
Senso
Senso
1954 · Luchino Visconti
Querelle
Querelle
1982 · Rainer Werner Fassbinder
Black Swan
Black Swan
2010 · Darren Aronofsky
The Killer
The Killer
2023 · David Fincher
Chungking Express
Chungking Express
1994 · Wong Kar-wai
Burning
Burning
2018 · Lee Chang-dong
Le Salaire de la peur
Le Salaire de la peur
1953 · Henri-Georges Clouzot
The Secret in Their Eyes
The Secret in Their Eyes
2009 · Juan José Campanella
The Cremator
The Cremator
1969 · Juraj Herz
Tony Manero
Tony Manero
2008 · Pablo Larraín
A Dangerous Method
A Dangerous Method
2011 · David Cronenberg
Cabaret Balkan
Cabaret Balkan
1998 · Goran Paskaljević
La piel que habito (The Skin I Live In
La piel que habito (The Skin I Live In
2011 · Pedro Almodóvar
Rolling
Rolling
2015 · Apichatpong Weerasethakul
The Sin
The Sin
1965 · Henry Barakat
Anthony Zimmer
Anthony Zimmer
2005 · —
Black God White Devil
Black God White Devil
1964 · Glauber Rocha
Dil Se..
Dil Se..
1998 · Mani Ratnam
Murder, My Sweet
Murder, My Sweet
1944 · Edward Dmytryk
Perfect Blue
Perfect Blue
1997 · Satoshi Kon
Geometry
Geometry
1987 · Guillermo del Toro
823 Hostage Crisis
823 Hostage Crisis
2026 · Tony Leung Hung-Wah
Everyone's In It
Everyone's In It
2026 · Shamikh Gazali
Monkey Business
Monkey Business
2026 · Daniel Guzmán
On the Road
On the Road
2026 · David Pablos
Space/Time
Space/Time
2026 · Michael O'Halloran
The Silent Run
The Silent Run
2026 · Marta Bergman
Vertigo
Vertigo
1963 · Yannis Dalianidis
DIRECTORS WHO EXPLORE THIS
Darren Aronofsky United States

His films like Black Swan and The Wrestler obsessively explore characters consumed by their ambitions and psychological unraveling.

 David Fincher United States

His meticulous thrillers such as Gone Girl and Se7en delve into obsessive behavior and the desperate psychology of flawed individuals.

 Gaspar Noé Argentina/France

His provocative works like Irréversible and Enter the Void fixate on trauma, obsession, and the desperate human need for connection or redemption.