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Perfume: The Story of a Murderer poster

Movies that feel likePerfume: The Story of a Murderer (2006)

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.

If you loved Perfume: The Story of a Murderer, the closest films we have are Nymphomaniac: Vol. I (2013), Taxi Driver (1976) and Blue Velvet (1986). All three share Perfume: The Story of a Murderer's obsessive feel, which is what we rank on before quality.

Seen the big three already? The under-the-radar pick below is Tony Takitani (2004).

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If Perfume: The Story of a Murderer hit the spot, these will too

Nymphomaniac: Vol. I poster
Nymphomaniac: Vol. I
2013 Β· dir. Lars von Trier
πŸ… 77%β˜… 6.9drama

Both land stillness and obsession at once

The difference: Less gritty, more its own thing

A man named Seligman finds a fainted wounded woman in an alley and he brings her home. She tells him that her name is Joe and that she is nymphomaniac. Joe tells her life and sexual experiences with hundreds of men since she was a young teenager while Seligman tells about his hobbies, such as fly fishing, reading about Fibonacci numbers or listening to organ music.

Taxi Driver poster
Taxi Driver
1976 Β· dir. Martin Scorsese
πŸ… 89%β˜… 8.2crime Β· dramaApple TV+

Both are built on the same subject: obsession

The difference: Reviewed even better

Suffering from insomnia, disturbed loner Travis Bickle takes a job as a New York City cabbie, haunting the streets nightly, growing increasingly detached from reality as he dreams of cleaning up the filthy city.

Blue Velvet poster
Blue Velvet
1986 Β· dir. David Lynch
πŸ… 87%β˜… 7.7mystery Β· thriller Β· crime

Common ground: small town life

The difference: Goes its own way on the stillness

The discovery of a severed human ear found in a field leads a young man on an investigation related to a beautiful, mysterious nightclub singer and a group of psychopathic criminals who have kidnapped her child.

Crumb poster
Crumb
1995 Β· dir. Terry Zwigoff
πŸ… 95%β˜… 8documentary

Both keep coming back to the same thing: obsession

The difference: Leans further into documentary

This movie chronicles the life and times of R. Crumb. Robert Crumb is the cartoonist/artist who drew Keep On Truckin', Fritz the Cat, and played a major pioneering role in the genesis of underground comix. Through interviews with his mother, two brothers, wife, ex-wife and ex-girlfriends, as well as selections from his vast quantity of graphic art, we are treated to a darkly comic ride through one man's subconscious mind.

Border poster
Border
2018 Β· dir. Ali Abbasi
πŸ… 97%β˜… 7fantasy Β· drama Β· crime

The same preoccupation in both: supernatural

When a border guard with a sixth sense for identifying smugglers encounters the first person she cannot prove is guilty, she is forced to confront terrifying revelations about herself and humankind.

The Master poster
The Master
2012 Β· dir. Paul Thomas Anderson
πŸ… 85%β˜… 7.1drama

Contemplative drama, and it commits to that

Freddie, a volatile, heavy-drinking veteran who suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder, finds some semblance of a family when he stumbles onto the ship of Lancaster Dodd, the charismatic leader of a new "religion" he forms after World War II.

The Number 23 poster
The Number 23
2007 Β· dir. Joel Schumacher
πŸ… 7%β˜… 6.4thriller Β· mystery Β· crime

Gritty crime in both cases

Animal control officer Walter Sparrow becomes obsessed with a novel that he believes was written about him, as more and more similarities between himself and his literary alter ego seem to arise.

Trap poster
Trap
2024 Β· dir. M. Night Shyamalan
πŸ… 57%β˜… 5.8thriller Β· crimePrime VideoMax

Both lean on grit more than on fantasy

A father and teen daughter attend a pop concert, where they realize they're at the center of a dark and sinister event.

Tony Takitani poster
Tony Takitani
2004 Β· dir. Jun Ichikawa
πŸ… 88%β˜… 7.2drama

Drama with a pulse of obsession, in both cases

A reclusive illustrator falls in love with a young woman who addictively shops for clothing.

Heat poster
Heat
1995 Β· dir. Michael Mann
πŸ… 84%β˜… 8.3crime Β· drama Β· actionNetflixPrime Video

Crime built on grit, twice over

Obsessive master thief Neil McCauley leads a top-notch crew on various daring heists throughout Los Angeles while determined detective Vincent Hanna pursues him without rest. Each man recognizes and respects the ability and the dedication of the other even though they are aware their cat-and-mouse game may end in violence.

The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers poster
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
2002 Β· dir. Peter Jackson
πŸ… 95%β˜… 8.8adventure Β· fantasy Β· actionMax

Dreamlike fantasy in both cases

Frodo Baggins and the other members of the Fellowship continue on their sacred quest to destroy the One Ring--but on separate paths. Their destinies lie at two towers--Orthanc Tower in Isengard, where the corrupt wizard Saruman awaits, and Sauron's fortress at Barad-dur, deep within the dark lands of Mordor.

A Heart in Winter poster
A Heart in Winter
1992 Β· dir. Claude Sautet
πŸ… 85%β˜… 7.5drama Β· romance

Both lean on stillness more than on drama

Beautiful violin virtuoso Camille has two obsessions: the music of Ravel, and a friend of her husband's who crafts violins. But his heart seems to be as cold as her playing is passionate.

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The best-reviewed films that share Perfume: The Story of a Murderer’s defining feeling.