underdog detectives

His films like 'Serpico' and 'Prince of the City' center on morally complex, ordinary detectives fighting systemic corruption against overwhelming institutional odds.

Films such as 'Stray Dog' and 'High and Low' explore resourceful detectives of modest means using ingenuity to solve crimes in unequal social systems.

His detective narratives in 'Zodiac' and 'Gone Girl' feature obsessive, often marginalized investigators pursuing truth through meticulous work against skepticism and bureaucratic indifference.