You don’t have films with a gripping name these days. Yes, I might be wrong, but the latest German movie had me amused just by its title. Touted to be the latest chilling psychological thriller, The Perfumier has been released on Netflix.
It is inspired by a novel and aims to arouse the viewers with psychic elements. Moreover, the movie is one and a half hours long. Here’s my review, where I discuss what works and what doesn’t for The Perfumier.
The Perfumier Review Summary
A lot of promises remain unfulfilled in this latest German thriller. Though it creates stimulations worth applauding, mistreatment by the plot pulls The Perfumier down.
Keep reading my review to find out how different aspects work for this movie.
The Perfumier Synopsis
Having lost her sense of smell at an early age, Sunny takes the help of a deadly criminal who uses lethal ways to make the best perfumes. It is based on the thematic elements of the novel PERFUME: THE STORY OF A MURDERER.
Directed by Nils Willbrandt, The Perfumier stars Emilia Schule (Sunny), Ludwig Simon (Dorian), and Robert Finster (Juro), among others, in lead roles.
What Works for The Perfumier?
Concept
The original idea of The Perfumier is based on a Novel by Patrick Suskind. There’s another film based on the same book. What’s different with the movie at hand is that it doesn’t capture the whole of Patrick’s plot.
The movie’s creators have taken the basic theme of scents and the ability to smell, out of which they have created original contradictions in the story. There are two individuals with opposite reactions to scents. However, the commonality among them is the attraction they feel for fragrances.
On the one hand, there’s a psychotic guy who uses fatal ways to develop perfumes. The passion and lust for scent make him use the skin and body parts of people to produce original odors. On the contrary, we have a police officer who lost her ability to smell during childhood. How the two individuals meet and interact creates a decent amount of captivation.
Mysterious
The Perfumier keeps you hooked with the mysteries it throws open. What, how, and when about the story ensure the interest stays alive. You will be forced to think about the veracity of both the protagonist and the antagonist. Whether or not you are satisfied with the end result is a different thing, though.
Duration
With a length of just over one and a half hours, The Perfumier is a quick watch, regardless of its merits and demerits.
Performances
Emilia Schule plays Sunny in The Perfumier. As the lead character in an intense film, she had to be attentive to the gradations of an actor. Emilia shows great strength in bringing a peculiar personality to the screen. From selfishness to the urge to help the people at large, her mien convinces you of everything.
Ludwig Simon is in as Dorian, a layered character, I would say. The best part of his performance is Ludwig’s ability to control the narrative. Someone getting into a criminal space from the realms of creativity is hard to present on the screen. However, Simon does that with ease in The Perfumier.
Robert Finster refines and restricts himself for the better. As Juro, he is not directly significant to the plot. But the actor’s presence makes a subtle difference in manipulating the viewer’s perspective.
What Doesn’t Work for The Perfumier?
Storyline
I was expecting The Perfumier to be appallingly intriguing in terms of the story. And the fact that it draws the theme of an award-winning novel furthered my curiosity. However, unfortunately, it didn’t turn out to be as good.
The story of this German film seems forced to match the concept. There is ample depth, but I found the interconnectedness lacking in the tale. Moreover, logical conclusions are also absent at some points.
When the makers had a brilliant idea to exploit, they should have been craftier in developing the storyline.
Screenplay
Another talking point should be the screenplay of The Perfumier, which is not as engrossing as the idea. It is only average, but the film deserved more nuances in the screen presentation. The lack of continuity pushes things into oblivion at times.
Final Word
The Perfumier had a gripping concept to capitalize on. But the makers converted it into a lost opportunity, much like the recently released No Limit. You can watch the film to get a taste of the concept since it is short in duration.
FAQs
Is The Perfumier based on a real story?
No, The Perfumier is not expressly based on a true story. It is based on the theme of a novel by Patrick Suskind. Interestingly, a movie was released in 2006, which was entirely created from the story of Patrick’s book, Perfume: The Story of a Murderer.
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