voyeurism and obsession

His masterpiece 'Peeping Tom' is a foundational exploration of voyeurism as both cinematic act and psychological pathology, examining the camera itself as a tool of obsessive observation.

De Palma's career is defined by obsessive investigations of voyeurism, surveillance, and obsessive desire, particularly in films like 'Rear Window' homages and 'Body Double,' where watching becomes a moral and erotic transgression.