The first (and arguably best) movie from visionary filmmaker Satoshi Kon will be in cinemas later this year
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Satoshi Kon only directed four movies before dying at age 46, but he’s considered one of the greatest anime filmmakers of all time. And while his films run the gamut from high-concept science fiction to slapstick comedy, his greatest work is arguably his directorial debut: Perfect Blue.
If you’ve never seen it, we have some good news. Following a 4K restoration released on Blu-ray earlier this year, the film is now headed to theaters across the U.S. via distributor GKIDS. Perfect Blue will arrive in cinemas on Oct. 3. GKIDS announced the news during its Anime NYC panel on Aug. 23.
Written by Sadayuki Murai (and based on the novel Perfect Blue: Complete Metamorphosis by Yoshikazu Takeuchi), Perfect Blue tells the story of a pop star named Mima Kirigoe who is desperate to transform herself into a serious dramatic actor. At the same time, a stalker begins to pursue her. The pressures of Mima’s life eventually reach a breaking point as she begins to lose her sense of reality, all while a string of murders seem to follow her career and anyone associated with it.
While Perfect Blue and Kon’s other films never found mainstream appeal in the U.S. in the way other anime movies have, his influence on Western filmmakers is undeniable. Darren Aronofsky has been accused of ripping off Perfect Blue‘s iconic bathtub scene for his movie Requiem for a Dream. (Calling it an homage is perhaps a nicer way to frame the similarities.) He’s a noted fan of Kon’s work. There are also some clear similarities between Kon’s dream-based sci-fi thriller Paprika and Christopher Nolan’s Inception, though Nolan has never admitted to taking any inspiration from Paprika — or even being aware of its existence.
But while plenty of American movies may borrow liberally from Kon’s movies, nothing beats experiencing the real thing. See for yourself when the 4K version of Perfect Blue arrives in theaters on Oct. 3.