Perfume: The Story of a Murderer (2006)

Perfume: The Story of a Murderer rating: IMDb, Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic

IMDb7.5/10· 278K votes

Rotten Tomatoes59%

Metacritic56%

TMDb7.371/10· 5K votes

With 59% on Rotten Tomatoes, backed by 7.5/10 on IMDb and 56/100 on Metacritic, critical reception of this film has been mixed.

About Perfume: The Story of a Murderer

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.

Cast of Perfume: The Story of a Murderer

• 

  Ben Whishaw

  as Jean-Baptiste Grenouille

• 

  Alan Rickman

  as Richis

• 

  Rachel Hurd-Wood

  as Laura

• 

  Dustin Hoffman

  as Giuseppe Baldini

• 

  John Hurt

  as Narrator (voice)

• 

  Karoline Herfurth

  as The Plum Girl

• 

  David Calder

  as Bishop of Grasse

• 

  Simon Chandler

  as Mayor of Grasse

• 

  Sian Thomas

  as Madame Gaillard

• 

  Jessica Schwarz

  as Natalie

• 

  Corinna Harfouch

  as Madame Arnulfi

• 

  Paul Berrondo

  as Dominique Druot

Perfume: The Story of a Murderer facts

Budget

$63.7M

Box office

$135M

Our take on Perfume: The Story of a Murderer

Tom Tykwer's 2006 film adapts the story of Jean-Baptiste Grenouille, born into the stench of eighteenth-century Paris with a supernatural sense of smell that he turns to crafting the world's finest perfumes. His obsession with capturing and preserving scent leads him down an increasingly dark path in search of the ultimate fragrance. Blending crime, drama, mystery and a streak of fantasy, it's a lush, unsettling period piece as concerned with sensory atmosphere as with story. It suits viewers open to morally disturbing material, striking visuals and a cold, fable-like tone. If you want an ambitious, unusual film that lingers uncomfortably, this rewards the curious. Not for those seeking a conventional or comforting thriller.