Perfume: The Story of a Murderer

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Perfume: The Story of a Murderer

R

2006

2h 25m

Mystery & Thriller

History

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

59%

Tomatometer

131 Reviews

74%

Popcornmeter

250,000+ Ratings

With his incredible talent for discerning scents, Jean-Baptiste Grenouille is one of 18th-century France's finest perfumers. He becomes obsessed with capturing an elusive aroma: the scent of young womanhood. His search takes a deadly turn, and when the bodies of 12 young females are found, panic breaks out, with families rushing to lock up their daughters.

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Critics Consensus

Perfume is what you'd expect from a Tom Twyker-directed movie glamorizing a serial killer: a kinetic visual feast, with a dark antihero that's impossible to feel sympathy for.

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Nick Schager

Lessons of Darkness

11/21/2007

B+

[Its] off-the-charts screwiness obscures virtually all shortcomings.

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Carrie Rickey

Philadelphia Inquirer

01/11/2007

2/4

Tykwer loses his cinematic grip when he tries to blend murder and piety. In his hands, the two don't emulsify.

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Rex Reed

Observer

01/10/2007

Perfume: The Story of a Murderer is another nauseous example of style over content: a toxic tale of serial homicide set in 18th-century France that creeps you out faster than it makes you think.

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David Nusair

Reel Film Reviews

Feb 22

2/4

...a wildly overlong misfire that contains few agreeable attributes.

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Tim Brayton

Alternate Ending

08/13/2024

3.5/5

A movie that is much, much more nuts than it lets on.

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Tom Cassidy

Common Sense Media

04/12/2023

2/5

The unsettling horror plot with a one-note villain -- Whishaw's Grenouille is on a murderous pursuit to try and recapture the smell of his first murder victim -- is perfect for a 45-minute episode of a show like The X-Files.

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John W.

@wilksy Feb 26

It is solid and well done until the final portion of the film and then it gets silly and pretentious (including a very odd orgy scene)

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A. L. T

@MaxieP Nov 29

What a waste of great talent (Ben Whishaw, Alan Rickman, Dustin Hoffman) on what may be the dumbest, most pretentious movie I've ever seen. Skip it!

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Paul D.

@pdecirce Nov 18

Perfume is a horror film in many ways, and the horror is the realization that our "hero" is horribly lost in his obsession. It's a period piece in France about a young man in search of controlling the power of smell. It's fairly graphic with some hard to watch scenes, but beautifully filmed, excellent script and an engaging original concept. Fine acting and set design make this gritty world easy to be lost in. Well worth a watch.

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Oaklee D

@ODie63 Oct 26

I really enjoyed this film up until the 3rd act, where it loses its momentum and that's why it didn't receive a higher score.

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J B

@Hooly Oct 18

Errr I always thought rotten tomatoes was the go to site but 59% ? Wha? This is a great film - you've become to young or inexperienced to give reviews on films that cut through the usual and indulge you in an adult fairy story without meeting your youthful modern sensibilities because you don't understand this, because you weren't alive when 'The Company of Wolves" was made - and others of this genre. Take your brain out sometimes, just believe, and enjoy. I've nevet heard of twyker & whatever his previous, I take things as I see them - loved it.

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Jens B

@Jens97 Sep 24

Tykwer's Süskind adaptation never transcends mediocrity; the novel's plot is filmed too awkwardly. A generic score lingers over the TV-quality images, and there's never any tension or interest in the characters. Ben Wishaw, on the other hand, is great, as is Alan Rickman (when he finally shows up after 80 minutes); Dustin Hoffman, on the other hand, is completely in camp mode. All in all, a typical 'airs on network TV on a Sunday afternoon' historical/arthouse romp that doesn't dare to do anything. But I really want to read the novel now; it seems truly excellent.

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Tom Tykwer

Director

Ben Whishaw

Jean-Baptiste Grenouille

Dustin Hoffman

Guiseppe Baldini

Alan Rickman

Antoine

Rachel Hurd-Wood

Laure Richis

John Hurt

Narrator

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Perfume: The Story of a Murderer: Trailer 1

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Synopsis

With his incredible talent for discerning scents, Jean-Baptiste Grenouille is one of 18th-century France's finest perfumers. He becomes obsessed with capturing an elusive aroma: the scent of young womanhood. His search takes a deadly turn, and when the bodies of 12 young females are found, panic breaks out, with families rushing to lock up their daughters.

Director: Tom Tykwer
Producer: Bernd Eichinger, Martin Moszkowicz
Screenwriter: Tom Tykwer, Bernd Eichinger, Andrew Birkin
Distributor: Paramount Pictures
Production Co: Castelao Producciones S.A., Nouvelles Éditions de Films [fr], Constantin Film Produktion
Rating: R (Disturbing Images|Aberrant Behavior|Nudity|Sexuality|Violence)
Genre: Mystery & Thriller, History, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Dec 27, 2006, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Mar 22, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA): $2.2M
Runtime: 2h 25m
Sound Mix: SDDS, Dolby Digital, DTS

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