obsession with physical appearance

His films obsessively explore the transformation and corruption of the human body as a site of horror and fascination, making physical mutation central to existential dread.

He repeatedly examines psychological obsession with physical perfection and bodily control through visceral, nightmarish imagery in works like Black Swan and The Wrestler.

His melodramas intensely focus on desire, vanity, and the social consequences of physical appearance through emotionally complex character studies and visual flamboyance.