Insatiable Cravings: 20 Films About Excess & Obsession
Love. Power. Wealth. Beauty. Status. Some appetites grow stronger once they're fed.
By: The Lace Ledger Staff
Hunger comes in many forms. Sometimes it's for success, sometimes it's for status and sometimes it's for another person entirely. These films and series examine the consequences of gluttony, following characters whose relentless pursuit of "more" ultimately becomes their greatest downfall.
Obsession (2026)
Written and directed by Curry Barker, this supernatural horror follows a hopeless romantic whose wish for his childhood crush to love him comes true in the most terrifying way imaginable. As affection spirals into all-consuming codependency, the film becomes a chilling reminder that some desires are best left unfulfilled.
Sweetness (2025)
Written and directed by Emma Higgins, this Canadian thriller follows a teenage superfan who becomes convinced she is the only person capable of saving her favourite rock star. What begins as admiration quickly curdles into captivity, exploring how the appetite to be needed can become just as destructive as the desire to be loved.
You (2018–2025)
Led by Penn Badgley in one of television's most memorable antihero performances, You (2018–2025) follows a charming bookstore manager whose romantic infatuations quickly spiral into manipulation, stalking and murder. With each new obsession, the series explores the dangerous belief that love can be earned through control, revealing an appetite for connection that can never truly be satisfied.
The Substance (2024)
Written and directed by Coralie Fargeat, The Substance (2024) stars Demi Moore in a Golden Globe-winning performance alongside Margaret Qualley and Dennis Quaid. Winner of the Academy Award for Best Makeup and Hairstyling and nominated for Best Picture, the body horror sensation examines society's insatiable appetite for youth, beauty and perfection, asking how far someone will go in pursuit of a version of themselves they believe the world will love.
Baby Reindeer (2024)
Created by and starring Richard Gadd, Baby Reindeer (2024) became one of the year's most talked-about limited series and earned widespread critical acclaim, including multiple Primetime Emmy Awards. Inspired by Gadd's own experiences, it examines how loneliness can fuel an all-consuming cycle of obsession.
Saltburn (2023)
Written and directed by Academy Award winner Emerald Fennell and starring Barry Keoghan, Jacob Elordi and Rosamund Pike, Saltburn (2023) follows an Oxford student who becomes irresistibly drawn to the glamorous world of a wealthy classmate. What begins as fascination slowly evolves into an all-consuming hunger for status, intimacy and belonging.
Ingrid Goes West (2017)
Starring Aubrey Plaza, Elizabeth Olsen and O'Shea Jackson Jr., Ingrid Goes West (2017) is a dark comedy that examines the increasingly blurred line between admiration and obsession in the age of social media. As Ingrid's fixation on an influencer spirals into stalking and deception, the film exposes the insatiable appetite for validation and the carefully curated lives we see online.
The Love Witch (2016)
Written, directed and produced by Anna Biller, The Love Witch (2016) is a visually stunning homage to 1960s Technicolor horror that follows a modern witch determined to find the perfect romance through spells and potions. As her desire for love grows increasingly consuming, the film becomes a clever meditation on the dangerous appetite to be endlessly desired.
Nightcrawler (2014)
Written and directed by Academy Award nominee Dan Gilroy and anchored by a critically acclaimed performance from Jake Gyllenhaal, Nightcrawler (2014) follows an opportunistic freelance videographer willing to cross every ethical line in pursuit of the perfect story. As his appetite for success grows increasingly insatiable, the thriller offers a chilling look at ambition unchecked by conscience.
The Great Gatsby (2013)
Academy Award winner Leonardo DiCaprio stars in Baz Luhrmann's lavish adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald's classic novel, where extravagant parties and unimaginable wealth mask one man's all-consuming desire to reclaim the life he believes slipped away. Few films capture the seductive—and ultimately destructive—nature of excess quite so beautifully.
The Wolf of Wall Street (2013)
Directed by Academy Award winner Martin Scorsese and starring Academy Award nominee Leonardo DiCaprio in one of his most celebrated performances, The Wolf of Wall Street (2013) chronicles the meteoric rise and spectacular excess of stockbroker Jordan Belfort. Fuelled by an insatiable appetite for indulgence, the film serves as an unapologetically lavish portrait of what happens when "more" is never enough.
The Bling Ring (2013)
Written and directed by Academy Award winner Sofia Coppola and inspired by the real-life "Bling Ring" burglaries, this stylish crime drama follows a group of fame-obsessed teenagers who begin stealing from Hollywood celebrities' homes. Beneath the designer labels and luxury lifestyles lies an insatiable appetite for status.
Black Swan (2010)
Directed by Academy Award nominee Darren Aronofsky and featuring Academy Award-winning performances from Natalie Portman alongside Mila Kunis, Vincent Cassel and Barbara Hershey, Black Swan (2010) follows a gifted ballerina whose relentless pursuit of perfection slowly fractures her grip on reality. Blurring the line between ambition and obsession, the psychological thriller reveals how the appetite to become flawless can ultimately consume the person chasing it.
There Will Be Blood (2007)
Directed by Academy Award winner Paul Thomas Anderson and featuring an Oscar-winning performance from Daniel Day-Lewis, There Will Be Blood (2007) follows an ambitious oil prospector whose relentless pursuit of wealth and power leaves little room for compassion or connection. As success breeds an even greater hunger for control, the film becomes a haunting portrait of greed, proving that some appetites only deepen the more they're fed.
The Prestige (2006)
Directed by Academy Award nominee Christopher Nolan and starring Hugh Jackman, Christian Bale, Michael Caine and Scarlett Johansson, The Prestige (2006) follows two rival magicians whose relentless quest to outdo one another consumes every aspect of their lives. As professional rivalry gives way to all-out obsession, the film reveals how the appetite for greatness can eclipse morality, relationships and even identity.
Swimfan (2002)
Starring Jesse Bradford, Erika Christensen and Shiri Appleby, Swimfan (2002) follows a high school athlete whose brief encounter with a new classmate escalates into an increasingly dangerous obsession. A quintessential early-2000s psychological thriller, it explores how unchecked desire and the inability to accept rejection can quickly spiral into violence.
The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999)
Directed by Academy Award winner Anthony Minghella and featuring an acclaimed cast including Matt Damon, Jude Law, Gwyneth Paltrow, Cate Blanchett and Philip Seymour Hoffman, The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999) follows a young man whose fascination with another's privileged life evolves into a dangerous obsession. As his appetite for belonging intensifies, the line between admiration and identity slowly disappears.
Eyes Wide Shut (1999)
Directed by legendary filmmaker Stanley Kubrick in his final film and starring real-life couple Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman, Eyes Wide Shut (1999) follows a wealthy Manhattan doctor whose search for sexual fulfillment leads him into a mysterious secret society. Through its dreamlike exploration of temptation, fantasy and privilege, the psychological drama reveals how the appetite for what lies just beyond reach can become an obsession in itself.
Fatal Attraction (1987)
Nominated for six Academy Awards, including Best Picture, and starring Michael Douglas and Glenn Close in her iconic, Oscar-nominated performance, Fatal Attraction (1987) follows a brief affair that spirals into an increasingly dangerous fixation. As infatuation gives way to obsession, the psychological thriller remains one of cinema's defining cautionary tales about the destructive appetite for love and possession.
Citizen Kane (1941)
Widely regarded as one of the greatest films ever made, Orson Welles' groundbreaking masterpiece follows newspaper magnate Charles Foster Kane as he amasses extraordinary wealth, influence and power in pursuit of a life that always seems just beyond his grasp. A timeless meditation on ambition and excess, Citizen Kane (1941) reminds us that even the greatest fortunes cannot satisfy an appetite for fulfillment.
While their motivations may differ, each of these stories asks the same timeless question: when does ambition become obsession? Consider this your watchlist for exploring the many forms appetite can take.
Which will you watch first?
Tell us in the comments and subscribe to receive our free monthly digital issue to your inbox including a first look at dark feminine style and culture, the chance to vote on next month’s stories and a preview of upcoming giveaways.
