winning streak

His films obsessively explore characters riding dangerous winning streaks and the psychological unraveling that follows, from gambling addiction in Casino to ambition consuming morality in The Wolf of Wall Street.

Mann's protagonists are defined by their pursuit of professional mastery and consecutive victories, examining the cost of maintaining peak performance in Heat, Collateral, and The Insider.

He dissects obsessive pursuit of success through psychological spirals in The Wrestler, Black Swan, and The Fountain, where winning streaks become pathological descents into madness.