His films obsessively explore the psychology of obsession itself, with protagonists consumed by the need to uncover truth and patterns, as seen in Zodiac, Se7en, and The Social Network.

He repeatedly depicts characters whose compulsive research and artistic/intellectual pursuits spiral into psychological breakdown, most powerfully in The Fountain, Black Swan, and The Wrestler.

His documentaries and films celebrate obsessive individuals driven to extremes by their singular passions, examining how research and vision can consume and define human existence.