I finally watching Perfect Blue after being recommended it for years whenever I talked about fandom / obsession / the internet, which is a lot — it did not disappoint! Truly horrific and brilliant and unique. I didn’t read too much about it beforehand, and I recommend going in the same way, and coming out just as confused. I love finishing a film and immediately searching for articles and blogs and reviews. (The exception to this would be if you need to check trigger warnings… I would do that(!) for sure.)
Animated psychological horror.
There is one scene with a simulated rape (protagonist is acting in a tv episode). Even so, it’s unsettling. See also Magnetic Rose.
My all-time favorite film is Satoshi Kon’s Perfect Blue. No other movie goes deep into avatars, alter egos, and the unraveling of one’s identity after stepping into the dark side of entertainment quite like this one. It’s beautiful and incredibly dark. It feels especially relevant in today’s digital age.
