forced competition

His films like Hereditary and Midsommar trap characters in inescapable social and familial systems where they must compete for survival and sanity against overwhelming external forces.

His work, especially The Killing of a Sacred Deer and The Favourite, explores how arbitrary rules and power dynamics force characters into brutal competitions for control and survival.

His films like Prisoners and Sicario depict protagonists compelled into morally compromising competitions against corrupt systems and adversaries beyond their control.