The Perfumier (Der Parfumeur) is a crime-thriller film directed by Nils Willbrandt and stars Emilia Schüle, Ludwig Simon, Robert Finster and August Diehl, alongside other cast members. The movie has a runtime of 95 minutes and is based on the novel by the same name by Patrick Süskind.
Netflix describes the movie as:
To regain her sense of smell and get back her lover, a detective joins forces with a perfume maker who uses deadly methods to create the perfect scent.
– The Perfumier Review Does Not Contain Spoilers –
There have been several shows and movies based on Patrick Süskind’s novel, starting with Perfume: The Smell of a Murderer, as well as Netflix’s own TV series Perfume by director Philipp Kadelbach.
That being said, the German movie Der Parfumeur wraps everything up relatively fast, thanks to enough exposition within the first few minutes and a somewhat creepy setup.
The movie really falters on the pace, and honestly, it feels more like a story of Sunny and her inability to smell stuff rather than a murder mystery. It’s a confusing and dreamy film, one that several people might like but most won’t. However, personally, the interesting part comes into play when she goes out in search of Dario, the mysterious perfumer.
The Perfumier is quite slow, extremely, if I’m being honest. At some point, you forget that Dorian is a murderer who uses women’s sweat glands to make perfumes. It seems like the two are a master and a student trying to understand what to do about her rather precarious situation.
The movie is absolutely gorgeous to look at and adds much beauty and curiosity to the striking premise. Although the movie doesn’t feel like something you’d expect it to, you do sympathise with Sunny’s struggles and her need to do better for the sake of her future. I feel like Sunny shouldn’t go to a therapist to tackle her childhood traumas rather than a murdering perfumer, but sure.
Also Read: The Patient Episode 5 Review: Full Disclosures Are Never Helpful
I think it’s interesting the way the movie uses something as innocuous as smell to spread so much panic. As Sunny goes on a self-destructive path that can only end in one way, her story and that of Dorian seem like two sides of the same coin. Unfortunately, though, Dorian isn’t a scary antagonist, and neither does he seem quite formidable.
You don’t feel fear or shock at anything happening on the screen. Sure, it’s a bit creepy, but it feels more like a drama film than anything else. It’s also a bit confusing as to where the story is trying to go like, are we supposed to be this confused about how everything is going? Are we supposed to feel some sort of sympathy?
All in all, I felt confused, and a bit weirded out at the toxicity of the entire situation. The movie never really picks up the pace but goes through highs and lows in its storytelling. Curiously, Sunny also never really works, it seems, but still has a gun that she totes around. It’s honestly such a weird and unfulfilling movie.
Summing Up: The Perfumier
The Perfumier has several interesting and deep connotations that just require a lot of patience to get through. It’s a slow movie that never really gets too creepy and always feels like a drama rather than stirring up fear. Either way, it’s definitely an odd watch that will make you think a bit, but it’s definitely not a watch for everyone.
The Perfumier is streaming on Netflix.
Also Read: Once Upon a Small Town Episode 8 Recap and Review: Time For Extra Drama