Perfect Blue

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Perfect Blue

R

1999

1h 20m

Mystery & Thriller

Anime

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Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

84%

Tomatometer

57 Reviews

89%

Popcornmeter

10,000+ Ratings

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

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

10/08/2021

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...

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Lisa Alspector

Chicago Reader

10/08/2021

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.

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Kim Newman

Empire Magazine

09/22/2020

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

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Sydney Lee

Horror Movie Talk

Dec 4

10/10

The sense of dread, doom, and anxiety get bigger and bigger until it all comes to a head at the end of the movie. It is emotional, thrilling, scary, and hard to follow, but that is what makes it perfect.

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Marcelo Paredes

Cinencuentro

Nov 18

...Perfect Blue still resonates today because it exposes the evolution of the gaze and the manipulation of the image. Kon shows how a protagonist can be molded by those around her and also by the audience that consumes her. [Full review in Spanish]

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Calum Cooper

In Their Own League

07/15/2024

5/5

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.

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GEORGE

Oct 4

Words can't describe the impression this film has left on me. Utterly amazing.

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Joseph P

09/10/2023

An absolute masterpiece, RIP Satoshi Kon

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Steve O

09/07/2023

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.

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Ben W

09/07/2023

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

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Goose R.

@rodrigug Mar 8

Mima is a pop star that changes careers into acting. Then people around her start to die. Cool anime thriller. Very trippy but cool story 🍿🍿🍿🍿/5 on HBO

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Dan C

@DanLikes Jan 27

This movie is in my top 2 movies ever… and it’s not 2. If you can keep up with the storyline, which requires some focus, it becomes absolutely immersive in a way no other movie I’ve watched has. An absolute masterpiece and a perfect film. My favorite movie ever.

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Satoshi Kon

Director

Bridget Hoffman

Mima Kirigoe

Stephen Apostolina

Shibuya

Bob Buchholz

Powertron

Steve Bulen

Tejima

Dyanne DiRosario

Yukiko

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
Rerelease Date (Theaters): Oct 3, 2025
Release Date (Streaming): Mar 26, 2019
Runtime: 1h 20m
Sound Mix: Dolby
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)