Perfect Blue

1997 ‘パーフェクトブルー’ Directed by Satoshi Kon

The color of illusion is Perfect Blue.

A retired pop singer turned actress' sense of reality is shaken when she is stalked by an obsessed fan and seemingly a ghost of her past.

Junko Iwao Rica Matsumoto Shinpachi Tsuji Masaaki Ōkura Yōsuke Akimoto Yoku Shioya Hideyuki Hori Emi Shinohara Kiyoyuki Yanada Tōru Furusawa Shiho Niiyama Emiko Furukawa Aya Hara Shin-ichiro Miki Megumi Tano Akio Suyama Osamu Hosoi Kôichi Tôchika Emi Motoi Kishou Taniyama Shokkâ Ôno Rofuto Purasu Wan Burazâzu Makoto Kitano Soichiro Hoshi Masashi Ebara

Alternative Titles

Paafekuto buruu, Pafekuto buru, Pāfekuto Burū, Истинная грусть, 藍色恐懼

thriller animation

81 mins More details at IMDb TMDb Report this film

Popular reviews

Review by mia ★★★★★ 6

black swan (2010) was found dead in a ditch
Review by Todd Gaines ★★★★½ 38

The blurred line between what is real, and what is not. A theme explored in movies such as: Repulsion, Belle de Jour, Triangle and Black Swan. A film aspect that's never been a favorite of mine. However, I found the outlier. Perfect Blue hooked me from the opening, and I was on the edge of my seat until the final credits rolled.
Perfect Blue is batshit crazy in an eat your heart out Darren Aronofsky type of way. It's the movie Black Swan only wished it could be. It's simply a badass flick with a lot of social commentary on the media, fame and internet usage for dummies circa 1997. At least in my mind it is.
Part Giallo. (Fun…
Review by Karsten Runquist ★★★★ 15

I say this in the most minnesotan way possible: oh jeez
Review by maria ★★★★½ 11

darren aronofsky, retire bitch
Review by Rembrandt Q Pumpernickel ★★★★½ 11

This review may contain spoilers. I can handle the truth.

Perfect Blue is a serial killer film, and the killer is patriarchal violence.
Many films mine the tension between one's idealized self and the self one lives in reality to create drama and art*, few so adeptly recognize that for women, both of these sides are controlled by men. Perfect Blue is the story of pop icon Mima who decides to move from singing to acting and takes a minor role in a disgusting procedural show about grisly murders. But decides is (intentionally on my part) not the correct verb in this instance; the film does not portray it as a decision. In fact, Mima is often shown consenting to something that eventually undermines her own sense of self or…
Review by katie ★★★★ 1

darren aronofsky really did snatch mima's wig didn't he

Recent reviews

Review by vlria ★★★★★

I had heard that HBO's Westworld was a total rip-off of Perfect Blue. It is not. However, I can see the similarities and think everyone should watch both of these. Mild spoiler below.
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Dolores Abernathy deserved to break the fourth wall at least once in the arc of the first season. Imagine if her final shot had looked like THAT.
Review by Chadwin ★★★½

I’m not entirely sure whether or not I was supposed to understand what was going on the entire time, but I didn’t...which is absolutely not a bad thing. However, in order for me to say I loved this movie I think a second viewing is required. So until I give it another watch one day and raise my score, I’m just going to leave this here.
It’s really really good, however. I just need it to personally click with me a little more before I rate it higher.
Review by endguard ★★★★

This movie is incredible and bends the lines between what is and isn't real leaving you guessing by the end. If you want a solid what the fuck this is it.
The animation isn't amazing but the budget for cut for this so im not too worried about it. I still really enjoy the older look to anime and I still think it looks good and fits the uncomfortable nature of this movie.
Review by risnerking ★★★★½

When all was said and done I was filled with such an indescribable sadness that all I could do was go to bed and just sit there.
While some of the technical aspects don't hold up, everything great about this movie lies in its story and the mystery that is sewn into it.
If a movie can make me feel things that I haven't felt before, then it has done more than most ever will.
Review by Reese ★★★★

Permanently damaged
Review by Meconate ★★★★★

Perfect Blue is pretty close to perfection in what it aims to achieve. A story of a young female pop star turned actress who is mentally struggling to distinguish between reality and fiction in the modern days of Japan.
What was originally intended to be a live action film, Perfect Blue holds nothing back in it's pursuit to engulf the viewer in this dark and twisted tale of mind games and harsh reality. Satoshi Kon was a visionary ahead of his time, and Perfect Blue was his debut masterpiece that has slowly but surely gone down as a prime example of excellent storytelling through animated cinema.
Kon's unique and iconic art style borders the line between realism and traditional anime,…
Review by kalevira ★★★★★

son.
nah son for real.
this was some MENTAL TRAUMA. and y’all are telling me this was satoshi kon’s FIRST FILM? JUST CAME OUT THE GATE LIKE THAT?
wow this was an incredible psychological thriller and possibly the best anime thriller I’ve ever seen. the music was used perfectly to build tension strong enough to keep the golden gate bridge standing. the animation, especially for a film from this era was great here. you could tell the moments where the film showed it’s age however everything was at the very least fluid, even when it counted.
mima as a protagonist cycles through many different versions of herself and it’s wild how the film tries to trick you into believing which…
Review by AndrewTeix ★★★★★

So many eye stabs
Review by Michael Kowaleski ★★★★★

Heard that this was “anime Mulholland Drive” and yeah if Mulholland Drive was actually good! (I’ve decided this is the account where I actively antagonize David Lynch stans)
But yeah this movie is a rough watch but oh so frickin great.