self-help culture

His films like 'The Master' and 'Inherent Vice' deconstruct self-improvement movements and expose the psychology behind charismatic gurus and followers.

His surreal cinema critiques social conformity and self-optimization through absurdist narratives that reveal the absurdity of prescribed paths to happiness.

His socially conscious realist films expose how systemic failures are blamed on individuals' lack of self-help and personal responsibility, critiquing the ideology itself.