THEME EXPLORATION

obsession and longing

32 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
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
Mulholland Drive
Mulholland Drive
2001 · David Lynch
The Secret in Their Eyes
The Secret in Their Eyes
2009 · Juan José Campanella
In the Realm of the Senses
In the Realm of the Senses
1976 · Nagisa Oshima
Portrait from Life
Portrait from Life
1948 · Terence Fisher
The Cremator
The Cremator
1969 · Juraj Herz
The Young Girls of Rochefort
The Young Girls of Rochefort
1967 · Jacques Demy
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 · —
Dil Se..
Dil Se..
1998 · Mani Ratnam
Kooky
Kooky
2010 · Jan Svěrák
Murder, My Sweet
Murder, My Sweet
1944 · Edward Dmytryk
The Good Life
The Good Life
1997 · Stephen Berra
Winchester '73
Winchester '73
1950 · Anthony Mann
Ugly Story
Ugly Story
2026 · L. Pranava Swaroop
Vertigo
Vertigo
1963 · Yannis Dalianidis
The Beloved
The Beloved
2026 · Rodrigo Sorogoyen
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 Fountain* obsessively explore psychological unraveling and yearning through visually hypnotic narratives that mirror the descent into obsession.

 Wong Kar-wai Hong Kong

His dreamlike visual style in films like *In the Mood for Love* and *Chungking Express* captures the ache of unfulfilled desire and nostalgic longing with poetic precision.

 Pier Paolo Pasolini Italy

His films such as *Teorema* and *Salò* fearlessly examine obsession, desire, and the destructive nature of human longing through provocative and transgressive storytelling.