Veteran director Satoshi Kon returns with a surreal, psychedelic study of dreams in this eye-catching anime that gives Philip K. Dick a run for his money.

Satoshi Kon has made a name for himself by making animated films with the kind of stories that are traditionally told with live actors. From the Hitchcockian suspense of Perfect Blue to the heart-warming tale of misfits, friendship and family that is Tokyo Godfathers, Kon has demonstrated to the world the versatility of animation and its ability to enhance a traditional narrative. His new film, possibly his best yet, uses that versatility to tell a Freudian story with inspired and inventive visuals. Sometime in the near future, brilliant scientist Dr. Tokita has developed a revolutionary new psychotherapeutic treatment in which he uses a small device to enter the dreams of his patients to uncover the subconscious secrets that lie inside. But the device is stolen, and all hell breaks loose when a terrorist begins to alter people's personalities through their dreams. Only Tokita's colleague, the modest Dr. Atsuko Chiba, can unlock the secrets of the mystery. Chiba is forced to assume her fantasy alter-ego, the beautiful and mysterious Paprika, to jump from nightmare to nightmare and chase the shadowy criminal. Accented with a catchy soundtrack, this pure pop treat plays like "Hello Kitty" meets A Scanner Darkly.