PERFECT BLUE

Year: 1997
Rated R
Genre: Anime, Psychological Thriller, Murder Mystery
Language: Japanese
​Runtime: 1:21:00
Director: 今 敏 (Satoshi Kon)
Main Cast: 岩男潤子 (Junko Iwao), 松本梨香 (Rica Matsumoto), 大倉正章 (Masaaki Okura)

​Notable Mentions: Satoshi Kon's Direction

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I can't stop thinking about this film.

I doubted a thriller film in anime format can be effective. I was wrong. Perfect Blue was exhilarating, a wild ride. Somewhere in the middle of the film, you lose track of reality, like Mina. The film sucks you in, spins you like a top. You're so confused, deep in the madness.

Online detectives noted similarities between Perfect Blue and Black Swan. Perfect Blue came out in 1997. Black Swan came out in 2010. Darren Aronofsky, Director of Black Swan, denied Black Swan was inspired by Perfect Blue. In 2000, Darren Aronofsky made Requiem for a Dream. In Requiem for a Dream, there was a bathtub scene that was a remake of a bathtub scene from Perfect Blue. Darren Aronofsky admitted to that. One thing for certain, Darren Aronofsky saw Perfect Blue way before he made Black Swan.

Perfect Blue elevated Black Swan. I liked Black Swan more after watching Perfect Blue.

May 20, 26.