fish out of water

His films consistently feature protagonists struggling against absurd, alien environments where they must adapt or perish, most famously in 'Sherlock Jr.' and 'The General.'

His narratives repeatedly place characters in fantastical worlds radically foreign to their origins, exploring displacement and adaptation through films like 'Spirited Away' and 'Howl's Moving Castle.'

He chronicles modern individuals helplessly out of place in mechanized, post-industrial society, using physical comedy to express existential alienation in films like 'Mon Oncle' and 'Playtime.'