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. Continue reading →