Perfume: The Story of a Murderer

"Obsession can cause the unthinkable."

2006 2h 27m EN

👍

7.4

SOLID

🥫

59%

ROTTEN

😬

METACRITIC

⭐

7.5

IMDB

★7.4TMDB · 5,191🥫59%Rotten Tomatoes●56Metacritic★7.5IMDB · 277,726

CrimeFantasyDrama

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Jean-Baptiste Grenouille, born in the stench of 18th century Paris, develops a superior olfactory sense, which he uses to create the world's finest perfumes. However, his work takes a dark turn as he tries to preserve scents in the search for the ultimate perfume.

“Obsession can cause the unthinkable.”

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Cast

Ben Whishaw
Jean-Baptiste Grenouille
Alan Rickman
Richis
Rachel Hurd-Wood
Laura
Dustin Hoffman
Giuseppe Baldini
John Hurt
Narrator (voice)
Karoline Herfurth
The Plum Girl
David Calder
Bishop of Grasse
Simon Chandler
Mayor of Grasse

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Tom Tykwer
Writers: Andrew Birkin, Bernd Eichinger, Tom Tykwer
Languages: English
Countries: Germany, France, Spain, United States of America, Belgium

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Mid-budget at $64M — the now-extinct middle tier of Hollywood.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Released 20 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

International production across 5 countries: Germany, France, Spain, United States of America, Belgium.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Tom Tykwer, shot by Frank Griebe. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Tom Tykwer. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Alexander Berner shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Ben Whishaw and Alan Rickman and Rachel Hurd-Wood carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "Obsession can cause the unthinkable.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Tom Tykwer directs. Frank Griebe behind the camera. Tom Tykwer scores. Alexander Berner cuts. Profitable at the box office. Produced in Germany, France, Spain, United States of America, Belgium. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Mid-budget at $64M — the now-extinct middle tier of Hollywood.
2Released 20 years ago.
3International production across 5 countries: Germany, France, Spain, United States of America, Belgium.
4Directed by Tom Tykwer, shot by Frank Griebe. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by Tom Tykwer. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor Alexander Berner shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Ben Whishaw and Alan Rickman and Rachel Hurd-Wood carry the top of the cast.
8Marketing tagline: "Obsession can cause the unthinkable.".
9IMDB entry: tt0396171 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
10Classified under 19 themes, including "daughter", "small town", "bad smell", "prostitute".
11Released under 22 different titles around the world.

The technical file

Cinematography: Frank Griebe
Original score: Tom Tykwer
Editing: Alexander Berner
Production design: Uli Hanisch
Costume design: Pierre-Yves Gayraud
Makeup / hair: Barrie Gower
VFX supervisor: Dennis Lowe
Sound: Michael Kranz
Stunt coordinator: Flora Álvarez
Runtime: 147 min · 2h 27m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Budget: $63,700,000
Box office: $135,039,924
Return: 212% of budget
Original language: EN
Certification (US): R
IMDB: Perfume: The Story of a Murderer (2006)
Rotten Tomatoes: 59% 🥫 Rotten
Metacritic: 56/100
IMDB rating: 7.5/10 · 277,726 votes
MPAA: R

Awards

15 wins & 20 nominations total

European Film Academy Prix d'Excellence
European Film Award for Best Cinematographer

Individual records documented via Wikidata; the summary above may count more.

Also by

Tom Tykwer

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Trailers & featurettes

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Community reviews

What people are saying

GHeart2018-08-02
★ 10/10
Perfume: The Story of a Murderer is a 2006 German period psychological crime thriller film directed by Tom Tykwer and starring Ben Whishaw, Alan Rickman, Rachel Hurd-Wood, and Dustin Hoffman. Tykwer, with Johnny Klimek and Reinhold Heil, also composed the music. The screenplay by Tykwer, Andrew Birkin, and Bernd Eichinger is based on Patrick Süskind's 1985 novel Perfume. Set in 18th century France, the film tells the story of Jean-Baptiste Grenouille (Whishaw), an olfactory genius, and his homicidal quest for the perfect scent. Basically, I can say that this movie isn't for the emotional ones. It is a gently reminder that the perfection doesn't have to be shown or made in the real life. It should stay on a shelf and don't be touched by anyone.
crastana2022-07-18
If there is a movie that can scare me is this, it has it, unlike the "horror films" i never thought our main character was going that path. He is not a monster, he is bat-sheet crazy.

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