8. Perfect Blue (1997)
Animation is the perfect medium to explore issues of perception and reality, allowing directors to manipulate literally everything shown on screen. The renowned anime director Satoshi Kon understood this potential and strove to blur the lines between reality and imagination in each one of his films. Kon's directorial debut Perfect Blue is a psychological thriller that follows a Japanese pop star who decides to pursue a career as an actress. Some of her more obsessive fans become outraged at this change in direction and soon their attention begins to play havoc with her life, to the point where the lines between show business and reality begin to blur. If Hitchcock had made an anime film in the 90's, Perfect Blue would have been the result and it's just as unusual and mesmerizing as that description would imply. Just make sure you pay attention throughout. Things can get seriously confusing if you pop out of the room for a cuppa without pausing the film.