Perfect Blue

Remaking Kon's masterwork would, admittedly, have been a daunting and probably futile task... so they didn't even try. Ostensibly based on the same novel, there is very little similarity.

As a companion-piece to Kon's anime-classic there's not much to get from this one and its very dissimilar take on the source-novel. That's not necessarily a strike in its disfavour - I usually don't care regarding how faithful films are compared to a source-material I'm not familiar with - but the big problem here is an awfully tedious and ineffective storytelling mixed with bland characters. If perfect is blue this is orange. *Preview*: #14#, story, source.

Yes, this was remade, and yes, there's a reason you haven't heard of it. While the film is swathed in a brooding sense of unease (underscored by a mirror in nearly every shot) and social malaise, it lacks the drama to hold your attention and propel the narrative. That story is also vastly different from the original, making a comparison fascinating - but also the only reason to ever see it. (And why does an animation have more T&A and violence than a live-action film by a Pink director? Weird.)