protective spirits

His films consistently feature protective spirits and kami that guide and safeguard characters through transformative journeys, most notably in Spirited Away and Princess Mononoke.

He explores protective supernatural entities and spiritual guardianship across his work, from the faun in Pan's Labyrinth to the aquatic creature in The Shape of Water.

His films examine protective familial and ancestral spirits, whether through ambiguous supernatural presences or psychological manifestations of guardianship and inheritance in works like Hereditary and Midsommar.