Critics reviews

It contains nearly as many instances of falling as it does those of flight, and Kon makes sure to illustrate the dangers of madness that can also arise from dreams and fantasy.

Japan’s manga masters have always taken their toons more seriously than their Western counterparts, but this is the kind of pomo sci-fi that practically requires a Ph.D. to fully appreciate.

Whether you're an anime fiend or an inquisitive filmgoer, for 90 minutes, Paprika continually makes you see things in a new light. How often do you get to say that about a film?

Paprika is an absolutely magnificent film from beginning to end. Every scene is a rich, visual treat. Even if this were a film with no plot, it would be worth staring in wonder at the dream sequences.

[Paprika is] a gorgeous riot of future-shock ideas and brightly animated imagery... a mind-twisting, eye-tickling wonder.

Though his films are visual stunners... Kon is more obsessively concerned with the psychological triggers that make his characters tick. It takes very little stimulus to set off a Kon character, which may be why his perpetually on-edge creations feel slightly underwhelming in the moment, but improve immeasurably in hindsight.

What Kon adds to the genre is a post-modern sense of how the visual warps that animation allows can be complemented by a new sort of dissolving, multi-layered story that plays mind games with its audience... [Paprika] is one of the more refreshingly original animation titles we are likely to see this year.