One of the most influential films in anime history returns to cinemas this October with a brand new 4K restoration that allows you to experience the late Satoshi Kon’s mind-bending thriller like never before. Perfect Blue returns to cinemas for a limited time on October 10, 2025 with a Deluxe Edition 4K UHD Blu-ray release to follow later this year from Anime Limited.
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.
Watch the film’s trailer in the player below:
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 won’t want to miss this rare opportunity to experience his striking debut on the big screen.
Perfect Blue is releasing in cinemas in Japanese with English subtitles, and an English-language dub, from October 10, 2025.
