childhood regression

His films frequently explore characters confronting loss of innocence and the tension between childhood wonder and adult responsibility, particularly in 'Spirited Away' and 'Howl's Moving Castle'.

He creates whimsical, dreamlike narratives that often depict adults retreating into fantastical childlike states, most notably in 'Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind' and 'The Science of Sleep'.

His work explores psychological regression and arrested development through surreal, unsettling narratives where characters exist in distorted childlike states, as seen in 'The Killing of a Sacred Deer' and 'Poor Things'.