Perfect Blue

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Perfect Blue

R

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1h 20m

Mystery & Thriller

Anime

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84%

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55 Reviews

89%

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10,000+ Ratings

A mysterious figure stalks a pop star when she becomes an actor on a television show.

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Critics Consensus

Perfect Blue is overstylized, but its core mystery is always compelling, as are the visual theatrics.

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Cody Corrall

Chicago Reader

Kon thoughtfully depicts a woman on the verge of madness as her squeaky-clean image devolves into the compromising and gruesome roles she plays in her acting career...

Oct 8, 2021

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Lisa Alspector

Chicago Reader

This engrossing animated thriller somehow displays realist gore, nudity, and sexual violence in a tone not too far from that of a children's adventure; its innocence stems in part from the convincing naivete of the heroine.

Oct 8, 2021

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Kim Newman

Empire Magazine

Strange, stylish and intelligent, this is a rare anime film that delivers on its Eastern promise.

Sep 22, 2020

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Calum Cooper

In Their Own League

A phenomenal horror film that has aged, maybe not like a fine wine, but more like a haunted fable that just gets scarier the further time passes.

Rated: 5/5

Jul 15, 2024

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Paul Lê

Bloody Disgusting

The timeless story and the complex characters, not to mention the fascinating visual language from start to finish, are only some of the reasons why fans keep coming back to Kon’s unparalleled debut.

Rated: 5/5

Jul 20, 2023

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Noah Gittell

Washington City Paper

Like many great late ’90s films, Satoshi Kon’s animated thriller from 1997 grapples with the duality of the fledgling internet, but shockingly predicts future fallouts.

May 11, 2023

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Joseph P

An absolute masterpiece, RIP Satoshi Kon

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

09/10/23

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Steve O

Fun, creative, suspenseful! Satoshi Kon is a master animator that keeps you guessing what's happening. There's twists and turns. If you haven't seen his other works, I highly recommend Paprika and Millenium Actress TW: Sexual Assault is a big part in two scenes.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

09/07/23

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Ben W

This was crazy! Totally more crazy than I thought it would be. Really good and intriguing, but confusing.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

09/07/23

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Dionisis T

Its truly impossible to understand people who don't consider this movie a masterpiece...

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

11/12/24

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Audience Member

+ story + storytelling ± script ± trigger warning: trauma

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

09/07/24

Full Review

Rodney G

a must see animated feature!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

07/16/24

Full Review

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Satoshi Kon

Director

Bridget Hoffman

Mima Kirigoe

Stephen Apostolina

Shibuya

Bob Buchholz

Powertron

Steve Bulen

Tejima

Dyanne DiRosario

Yukiko

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Perfect Blue: Fathom Events Trailer

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Perfect Blue: Fathom Events Teaser Trailer

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Synopsis

A mysterious figure stalks a pop star when she becomes an actor on a television show.

Director: Satoshi Kon
Producer: Hiroaki Inoue, Haruyo Kanesaku, Masao Maruyama, Yutaka Maseba, Takeshi Washitani
Screenwriter: Lia Sargent
Distributor: AVCO Embassy Pictures
Production Co: Rex Entertainment
Rating: R
Genre: Mystery & Thriller, Anime
Original Language: Japanese
Release Date (Theaters): Aug 20, 1999, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Mar 26, 2019
Runtime: 1h 20m
Sound Mix: Dolby
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)