ritualistic sacrifice

His films Hereditary and Midsommar explicitly center on ritualistic sacrifice within family and cult contexts, exploring the psychological and supernatural dimensions of ceremonial violence.

Salò and his other works interrogate ritualistic violence, degradation, and sacrifice as reflections of power structures and societal corruption through provocative, transgressive cinema.

His films like The Fountain and mother! depict sacrifice—both spiritual and bodily—as cyclical, obsessive acts tied to creation, devotion, and cosmic transformation.