THEME EXPLORATION

pleasure and pain duality

20 films · 3 directors

Tracing the thread…

FILMS THAT EXPLORE THIS
Pain Is...
Pain Is...
1997 · Stephen Dwoskin
A History of Violence
A History of Violence
2005 · David Cronenberg
Black Swan
Black Swan
2010 · Darren Aronofsky
Seeing Circles
Seeing Circles
2020 · Apichatpong Weerasethakul
Paprika
Paprika
2006 · Satoshi Kon
Better Go Mad in the Wild
Better Go Mad in the Wild
2025 · Miro Remo
The Ride
The Ride
1995 · Amanda Micheli
Distant Voices, Still Lives
Distant Voices, Still Lives
1988 · Terence Davies
Putin
Putin
2026 · Patryk Vega
Run Rabbit Run
Run Rabbit Run
2026 · Daina Reid
Haruka, Nostalgia
Haruka, Nostalgia
1993 · Nobuhiko Obayashi
Il Mistero di Oberwald
Il Mistero di Oberwald
1980 · Michelangelo Antonioni
Partner
Partner
1968 · Bernardo Bertolucci
The Two Faces of Dr. Jekyll
The Two Faces of Dr. Jekyll
1960 · Terence Fisher
Cindy, the Doll Is Mine
Cindy, the Doll Is Mine
2005 · Bertrand Bonello
The Substance
The Substance
2024 · Coralie Fargeat
Puzzle of Pain
Puzzle of Pain
1965 · Arthur Lipsett
The Brazilwood Man
The Brazilwood Man
1982 · Joaquim Pedro de Andrade
Three Colors: Blue
Three Colors: Blue
1993 · Krzysztof Kieślowski
Three... Extremes
Three... Extremes
2004 · Takashi Miike
DIRECTORS WHO EXPLORE THIS
David Lynch USA

His surrealist narratives juxtapose beauty and horror, exploring how pleasure and pain coexist in the human psyche and everyday life.

 Gaspar Noé France

He confronts viewers with intense sensory experiences that blur ecstasy and anguish, forcing reflection on how pleasure and suffering are inseparable.

 Joachim Trier Denmark

His provocative films deliberately examine how trauma and desire intertwine, presenting beauty emerging from or alongside profound suffering.