moral punishment

His films like Hereditary and Midsommar explore how characters are punished through guilt, family trauma, and the inescapable consequences of their actions.

He examines moral punishment through extreme visual and narrative means, particularly in Irréversible and Enter the Void, where characters suffer irreversible consequences for their choices.

His provocative works like Dancer in the Dark and Dogville systematically explore how innocent or flawed characters are subjected to brutal punishment by society and circumstance.