Perfect Blue (1997) 4K Review

Perfect Blue (1997) 4K Review

Hailed as the first animated film to feature an authentic psychological suspense story, PERFECT BLUE blurs the line between fantasy and reality when Mima, a young woman who leaves her pop idol group to start a new life as an actress, finds herself overwhelmed by a wave of provocative offers that go against her wishes, and before long, a string of murders begin to unfold, targeting those around her. Blending a play within a play, the story unfolds as fiction and reality, dreams and delusions, and cyberspace intertwine—like an optical illusion.

Exploring themes such as identity, consumerism, and parasocial relationships that are just as relevant today as when the film released in 1998, PERFECT BLUE continues to be applauded by critics and industry alike as new generations of cinephiles discover and appreciate the works of Satoshi Kon, with influences observed in the works of top filmmakers today including Christopher Nolan and Darren Aronofsky.

The film legend Roger Corman once remarked that “If Alfred Hitchcock partnered with Walt Disney, they’d make a picture like this,” with a more contemporary review by The Skinny calling the film “a hard-hitting psychological thriller that just happens to be animated.” Whether you have been a long-time admirer of Satoshi Kon or are just learning about his films for the first time, you will not want to miss this rare opportunity to experience his striking debut on the big screen.

Mima Kirigoe, a former pop idol, makes a bold transition into acting, taking on a role in a drama that includes a disturbing assault scene, and even releasing a provocative nude photo book. Her dramatic reinvention grabs public attention, but also provokes unease among her fans, her manager, and even herself as she struggles with the rapid shift from her days as a pop idol. As a stalker begins to shadow her, a screenwriter and a photographer are murdered one after another. “Did I kill them?” Mima begins to wonder if a split personality is gradually taking over, just like the character that she plays in the drama. Then, “the other Mima” the pop idol who was supposed to have “graduated,” appears in front of her…

I was not expecting to be impressed by Satoshi Kon’s legendary debut film, but boy was I! Until now only one slice of anime has ever truly hit the spot with me and that was 1988’s AKIRA. I can understand why PERFECT BLUE is considered a masterpiece. It is simple in its telling, a surprise when we consider how multi-faceted the plot and the issues it tackles are, and it is more effective for it.

This surprisingly prescient and astute Japanese animated psychological thriller feels as relevant, if not more, than it did upon its original release. PERFECT BLUE was expected to disappear without anyone noticing it had arrived given the subject matter but what happened instead was that PERFECT BLUE went the festival route and ended up going down a storm. Consequently, the film was brought up by film distributors around the world and the rest, as they say, is history.

Based on the 1991 novel of the same name by Yoshikazu Takeuchi PERFECT BLUE is without doubt the creepiest and darkest anime to date, strike that, one of the creepiest and darkest movies to date. There are moments where you want to look away from the screen. It is not explicit but feels explicit and by watching what unfolds it makes the viewer feel complicit. It recalled the finer work of director Brian DePalma who had a knack of tackling plots heavily weighted with sex and violence and a protagonist with a fractured personality.

PERFECT BLUE starts off looking like it is another run-of-the-mill ‘obsessive fan/stalker slasher flick however it soon reveals extra layers to what looked to be an otherwise straightforward narrative morphing into something much darker in the process. And this 4K release enriches the experience. Whilst PERFECT BLUE is less visually flashy than some of its anime counterparts what visual flourishes there are become enriched and enhanced to make an already great and essential movie even more so.

Perfect Blue is being released as a Deluxe Edition 4K UHD Blu-ray on 8th December.