Perfect Blue

What the absolutely holy fucking shit is this psycho thriller. The level of discourse I had heard about this film did not accurately clue me in to how insane it is, in the best and most messed up way possible. I think everyone watching this has a very similar trajectory of: Wow, he seems crazy. Wait, is SHE crazy? Wait, AM I GOING CRAZY??? Some part of this film felt so honest and authentic despite (or perhaps because of) delving deep into the worst elements of celebrity. Male fans perceiving ownership over female public figures, believing they’re owed some parasocial deference. A male-led industry that preys on and pushes women into uncomfortable and dehumanizing public displays in the name of career advancement, maturity, and self-liberation despite it being anything but. Overall, this film 100% nails (in a hyper-realistic sense) parasocial relationships pop culture is awash in currently. But, is that something unique to our current time? Or was it simply prescient of the filmmakers during the dawn of this era? Was this even a new phenomenon at the turn of the century? Proceeding the more psycho-horror parts of this film, the thing that caught my attention the most was how much of a period-study it felt, delving into Japanese pop culture and how emerging technologies were affecting society. At the same time, especially commenting on the sexual explicitness and violence displayed, I don’t know if this film goes too far from just acknowledging its presence/pervasiveness and into lingering on it pervertedly. Also question the usage of physical deformities to embody a deeper disability/psychological disturbance. But also, whether that’s the point? All I know is that it made me feel deeply deeply uncomfortable. Overall, again, a truly insane film — American Psycho mixed with Silence of the Lambs mixed with Sunset Boulevard is about the only other way I could describe it.