This movie takes the magical girl genre and shows you exactly what it costs to be chosen. Shaft's direction transforms the witch battles into fever dreams that feel less like action and more like watching someone's sanity collapse in real time. The animation doesn't just look expensive, it rewrites what these girls are fighting, turning transformation sequences into moments you'll wince at instead of cheer for.

Madoka Kaname and her best friend Sayaka Miki are ordinary middle school students in Mitakihara, until a strange cat-like creature named Kyuubey offers to grant each of them one wish. The price is becoming a magical girl and battling the evil of witches. Veteran magical girl Mami Tomoe shows them how witch hunting works, while the enigmatic transfer student Homura Akemi urges them to refuse Kyuubey without explaining why. After seeing how brutal the fights are, the girls lean toward saying no. Then another magical girl comes to town, and Sayaka chooses to wish for the sake of someone she loves, pulling everyone toward the grim truth behind their powers and what their wishes really cost. The film is the first of four and retells the opening eight episodes of the TV series as a dark, psychological take on the magical girl genre.