Based on the novel Perfect Blue: Complete Metamorphosis by Yoshikazu Takeuchi, the animated psychological thriller Perfect Blue, directed by Satoshi Kon, was released in Japan in 1998 and recently brought back to theaters for its 20th anniversary by Fathom Events.
Mima, a successful singer in an idol group, chooses to make the transition from singing to acting. Her handlers are deeply divided on the advisability of this move. An obsessed and clearly disturbed fan is also not happy about the transition. Mima, herself, seems to be having second thoughts, and her self-doubt begins to manifest as a mocking and increasingly hostile reflection in her mirror. Posts on a website with disturbingly accurate knowledge of minute details of Mima’s life become progressively more shrill as people who work and interact with her are brutally murdered one by one.
Perfect Blue. IMDb.com
The screenplay by Sadayuki Murai masterfully builds the tension and ups the stakes over the 81-minute runtime. Who’s doing all the killing? Is it the deranged, creeper fan? Is it Mima, herself? Is the creeper even real, or is he just another manifestation of Mima’s deteriorating mental state? The film keeps the audience guessing right up to the climax.
Perfect Blue. IMDb.com
Captivating visuals do the fantastic screenplay more than justice. I make no secret or apology for my affinity for hand-drawn animation, and Perfect Blue is a superb example of the art form. Satoshi Kon is a master of his medium. The color palate and settings enhance the story on a subconscious, gut level. Perfect Blue is a reminder that animated characters don’t have to look flashy but dead. In the hands of artists, they can come truly alive.
On a nostalgia note, the film was made 20 years ago and featured elements from that era that might confound a younger audience, but I’m old enough to remember. Dial-up internet. Computers with floppy disc drives. A young woman with no idea how to log onto the internet. Seems quaint and anachronistic now, perhaps, but fun to see for someone who lived through it.
Perfect Blue. IMDb.com
Visually, artistically, psychologically, Perfect Blue still holds up after two decades and well deserves its status as an iconic film.
Overall rating: 8.5/10