defying expectations

His films systematically subvert genre conventions—from the intimate psychological thriller of Prisoners to the meditative science fiction of Arrival—constantly redefining what audiences expect from each narrative.

He creates deliberately artificial worlds that defy narrative and tonal expectations, challenging viewers to abandon conventional storytelling assumptions through films like The Killing of a Sacred Deer and Poor Things.

Her fragmented, impressionistic approach to structure and character development defies linear narrative expectations, forcing audiences to construct meaning through visual poetry rather than traditional plot progression.