psychological entrapment

His films like Repulsion and The Tenant obsessively examine characters' descent into paranoia and mental claustrophobia within confined spaces.

Works such as Hereditary and Midsommar trap protagonists in inescapable cycles of trauma, grief, and cultish manipulation with mounting dread.

His films like Funny Games and The Piano Teacher dissect psychological captivity, manipulation, and the viewer's complicity in witnessing entrapment.