Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.0
Audio		3.5
Extras		3.0
Overall		3.5

Perfume: The Story of a Murderer 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Perfume: The Story of a Murderer is an elegantly produced feature-film exploring the life of a serial killer obsessed with the scent of perfume. Based on the novel by Patrick Süskind, Perfume: The Story of a Murderer is an underrated gem from filmmaker Tom Tykwer (Run Lola Run, The Princess and the Warrior). Starring Ben Whishaw, Rachel Hurd-Wood, Alan Rickman, and Dustin Hoffman.

Jean-Baptiste Grenouille (Ben Whishaw) is a notorious and psychopathic serial killer with an obsession with scents. Jean-Baptiste is determined to kill as many women as possible and to retain their unique smell. The killer wants to wrap their bodies and expunge the smells in to creating perfumes – strong scents that are unmistakably the essence of the beauty in these women.

One such scent that he can’t resist is that of the delectable vixen Laura (Rachel Hurd-Wood). Laura is the daughter of the well-to-do Richis (Alan Rickman). The quest for Laura’s scent is one with many turns in the story. Along his journey of slaying women, Jean-Baptiste convinces shop owner Giuseppe Baldini (Dustin Hoffman) to start carrying his unique fragrances – unlike anything else the shop-owner has experienced before. Continuing his quest for more women and perfumes, Jean-Baptiste seeks the greatest collection of perfumes the world has ever known – and he won’t stop killing until his own collection is complete.

The performances are a highlight of the filmmaking. Ben Whishaw is brilliant as the psychopathic serial killer Jean-Baptiste Grenouille. There is something enormously hypnotic and captivating about the fine performance provided by Whishaw. The role is one he delves in to with a clear dedication to the part. Exploring the obsession of Whishaw with capturing beauty and the essence of beauty, the role is one where the serial killer finds joy in collecting the scents of women he murders. The performance is one that provides plenty of great character-moments for the actor.

The supporting cast does a great job in the film as well. Rachel Hurd-Wood is hypnotic and beautiful in the role and she provides a seductive essence to the performance that provides the film. The role was great for the actress and she was perfectly cast. Alan Rickman steals the show during his scenes and provides his usual charm as a performer. Dustin Hoffman also delivers a standout performance as the strange shopkeeper.

The production designs by Uli Hanisch (Cloud Atlas, Babylon Berlin) are an essential element of the film. The designs provide plenty of beauty in the filmmaking. The filmmaking feels all the more ambitious because of these efforts. A great work by Hanisch. The exquisite art direction by Laia Colet (Eva, The Olive Tree) is equally superb and plays a big role in the film achieving its tone.

The costumes by Pierre-Yves Gayraud (Babylon Berlin, Cloud Atlas) were outstanding. The costumes are vital to the film. The gowns of the beautiful women who are victims to the hands of Jean-Baptiste Grenouille are exceptional. Rachel Hurd-Wood has especially stunning costumes in the film. The costuming is surprisingly seductive for a serial-killer drama.

The cinematography by Frank Griebe (Run Lola Run, Cloud Atlas) is visually rewarding and the beautiful visual sensibility of the film is essential to the experience. Griebe is an accomplished cinematographer with some of the keenest visual sensibilities around. The cinematography haunts the film and the killings featured in the story. The dark aesthetic is an essential part of the experience.

The score composed by Reinhold Heil, Johnny Klimek, and Tom Tykwer (who together have collaborated on scores from Run Lola Run to One Hour Photo and TV’s Babylon Berlin) is first-rate. The score adds an extra layer of depth to the filmmaking. The composers do a good job of bringing a sexy and seductive mood to the film.

The screenplay by Tom Tykwer and co-screenwriters Andrew Birkin (The Name of the Rose, The Cement Garden) and Bernd Eichinger (Downfall, The Baader Meinhof Complex) is one of the best things about the film. The script has great dialogue and a compelling story. The entire film is about obsession. The obsession of someone and how the grasp of that obsession can control them and their lives. This is apparent throughout the film. It is not just about the acts of a serial killer but the manner in which beauty and obsession go hand-in-hand.

Perfume: The Story of a Murderer is a provocative masterpiece by Tykwer. Perfume: The Story of a Murderer is an essential serial-killer film. The filmmaking is exquisite from first to last frame. A haunting and melancholic experience and a must-see for Tykwer fans.

Perfume: The Story of a Murderer 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Released on 4K UHD by Constantin Film, Perfume: The Story of a Murderer is presented in 2160p HEVC / H.265 in the theatrical aspect ratio of 2.35:1 widescreen. The release includes a HDR10 presentation. The release does not provide a Dolby Vision grade. The 4K UHD presentation is pleasing overall and features a solid step-up in clarity and definition. The 4K encoding might only offer a marginal and incremental uptick in detail compared to a standard Blu-ray counterpart – so some who already own the Blu-ray might wonder if it is worth the price to upgrade. I would suggest it is still worth picking up even if the improvements are only slight. The 4K encoding is excellent and even though the HDR color grade is minimalistic (and only a few scenes seem to benefit from the HDR), Perfume: The Story of a Murderer still looks impressive on the format.

Perfume: The Story of a Murderer 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The release is presented in English DTS-HD High Resolution 5.1 in 24-bit depth. The audio on the release is unfortunately not lossless and this is a disappointing element of the release. Unlike DTS-HD Master Audio, DTS-HD High Resolution audio is nowhere near as nuanced or impressive as a auditory experience. The audio provides a static bit-rate with high-resolution audio (offering an improvement over streaming audio options) but the lack of an entirely lossless audio experience makes the viewing more subdued – with a less compelling sound experience as a result.

Though the high-resolution audio sounds pleasing overall, these slight differences between DTS-HD High Resolution and DTS-HD Master Audio have often bothered me with the releases that do not include fully lossless audio encoding. For those seeking the absolute best audio experience, one might wonder if they should wait to see if the feature comes to 4K UHD in a better edition from another country or distributor down the road – this certainly is a reasonable question to ask. It depends on how much one values the lossless audio and the type of sound system one has (and how detail- oriented one is the audio experience). While a fine audio presentation, it could still be better, and I hope for an even more immersive sound experience from a re-release in the future.

Optional subtitles are not "locked" on the release and those wishing to import the German release can do so without concern over forced subtitles.

Perfume: The Story of a Murderer 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Making-Of (SD, 53:52)

Interviews:

Bernd Eichinger (SD, 6:21)

Tom Tykwer (SD, 5:55)

Andrew Birkin (SD, 4:31)

Ben Whishaw (SD, 4:44)

Dustin Hoffman (SD, 5:50)

Alan Rickman (SD, 3:19)

Rachel Hurd-Wood (SD, 2:14)

Karoline Herfurth (SD, 2:35)

Corinna Harfouch (SD, 3:51)

Jessica Schwarz (SD, 2:52)

Cast/Crew Info (In German)

Perfume: The Story of a Murderer 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Perfume: The Story of a Murderer is a compelling serial-killer feature with a masterful performance by Ben Whishaw. Ben Whishaw is outstanding as a serial killer obsessed with beauty and with collecting perfumes from the essence of women he murders. The filmmaking is exquisite.

Though I don't find Perfume: The Story of a Murderer to necessarily be a masterpiece like Roger Ebert found the film to be, Perfume: The Story of a Murderer is still exceptional and a must-see. The 4K UHD release offers a solid 2160p 4K presentation with a HDR10 encode (no Dolby Vision). The audio is in DTS-HD High Resolution and unfortunately the release does not provide a fully lossless audio experience – though it still sounds good overall. Recommended but with some caveats noted.