innocence betrayed

His films consistently explore how childhood innocence confronts corruption and moral compromise in complex worlds, from Spirited Away to Princess Mononoke.

He systematically deconstructs safety and trust, forcing innocent characters into nightmarish situations where their naivety becomes their vulnerability, as in Hereditary and Midsommar.

His minimalist approach unflinchingly documents how systems and people exploit the vulnerable and idealistic, particularly in 4 Months 3 Weeks and 2 Days and Beyond the Hills.