THEME EXPLORATION

obsession and determination

33 films · 3 directors

Tracing the thread…

FILMS THAT EXPLORE THIS
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
Memento
Memento
2000 · Christopher Nolan
My Little Pony: A New Generation
My Little Pony: A New Generation
2022 · José Luis Ucha
Senso
Senso
1954 · Luchino Visconti
Querelle
Querelle
1982 · Rainer Werner Fassbinder
Zootopia
Zootopia
2016 · Byron Howard & Rich Moore
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
The Secret in Their Eyes
The Secret in Their Eyes
2009 · Juan José Campanella
Wadjda
Wadjda
2012 · Haifaa al-Mansour
Portrait from Life
Portrait from Life
1948 · Terence Fisher
The Cremator
The Cremator
1969 · Juraj Herz
Tony Manero
Tony Manero
2008 · Pablo Larraín
A Dangerous Method
A Dangerous Method
2011 · David Cronenberg
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
Anthony Zimmer
Anthony Zimmer
2005 · —
Corn Island
Corn Island
2014 · Giorgi Ovashvili
Dil Se..
Dil Se..
1998 · Mani Ratnam
Murder, My Sweet
Murder, My Sweet
1944 · Edward Dmytryk
Orpheus
Orpheus
1950 · Jean Cocteau
Perfect Blue
Perfect Blue
1997 · Satoshi Kon
Winchester '73
Winchester '73
1950 · Anthony Mann
Return of the Jungle
Return of the Jungle
2026 · Vaibhav Kumaresh
The Beloved
The Beloved
2026 · Rodrigo Sorogoyen
Vertigo
Vertigo
1963 · Yannis Dalianidis
Geuk-jang-jeon
Geuk-jang-jeon
2005 · Hong Sang-soo
Kvinna utan ansikte
Kvinna utan ansikte
1947 · Ingmar Bergman
DIRECTORS WHO EXPLORE THIS
Darren Aronofsky United States

His films like Black Swan and The Wrestler viscerally depict characters consumed by obsessive pursuits that blur the line between ambition and self-destruction.

 David Fincher United States

He crafts meticulous psychological thrillers where protagonists become obsessively fixated on solving mysteries or achieving perfection, as seen in Se7en and Gone Girl.

 Gaspar Noé France

His provocative films explore obsession with an unflinching intensity, examining how characters spiral into psychological and physical extremes in pursuit of desire and truth.