The Perfume of the Lady in Black (Limited Edition) 4K Ultra HD Review

Estimated reading time: 8 minutes

A Terrifying Descent into Insanity

Should you be a devotee of 1970s Italian film, especially the giallo genre, you have probably traveled through the elegant, murder-soaked realms of Argento and Bava. Hidden inside that legendary decade, however, is a more subtle, more poisonous treasure: Francesco Barilli’s The Perfume of the Lady in Black (Il profumo della signora in nero). This is a completely different animal; forget the Gaston Leroux book by the same title; this is a film that replaces razor-sharp gloved killers for a slow-burning psychological unraveling that will stay with you well after the credits are finished rolling. There is controversy over whether this film should even be considered a giallo given it fits far more readily into the psychological horror genre, but it certainly brings some earmarks of the giallo genre along with it.

More Than a Giallo: A Psychological Puzzle

Silvia Hacherman (a fascinating and beautiful Mimsy Farmer) has everything on the surface. She has a chic apartment, a gorgeous boyfriend, Roberto (Maurizio Bonuglia), and a successful, independent manager at a chemical lab in Rome. But this veneer of normality starts to shatter almost immediately. The movie deftly mixes reality, hallucinations, and memories. The traumatic suicide of her mother Marta torments Silvia, who is also tormented by disjointed, unsettling childhood memories. In her house, a vase from her past suddenly appears; a bouquet of flowers withers in a moment; and a spectral little girl symbolizing her younger self starts to show, a quiet accuser from a past she cannot get past.

Silvia Hacherman’s Delicate Psyche

Mimsy Farmer gives a tour-de-force performance, vividly and vulnerably depicting Silvia’s collapsing mental state. We are completely trapped in her point of view and our paranoia rises along with hers. It becomes increasingly difficult to discern reality from hallucinations. Has a talk with her buddy Andy on African witchcraft indicated she is a genuine victim of a great, conspiratorial cult? Or are we watching the terrible disintegration of a brain collapsing under repressed trauma’s weight? From her boyfriend and her wealthy pals to the apparently harmless doorman and neighbors, the movie cleverly makes everybody a suspect. Every look we make feels like a threat; every kind action could be a trap.

An Atmosphere You Can Almost Smell

The title has more to offer than just embellishment. The Perfume of the Lady in Black is a deeply sensory experience. The scent of her mother’s perfume becomes a trigger for Silvia, a spectral presence indicating a memory or hallucination arriving, and we are presented with the specter of her dead mother in a mirror applying the perfume – but is it real? Director Francesco Barilli builds a terrifying mood not by jumps but by persistent, creeping anxiety. Rome’s sun-drenched piazzas appear as oppressive as the dark corners of Silvia’s apartment. With jazzy interludes and disturbing, dissonant notes, the score perfectly matches the bewildering graphics to leave you feeling as adrift as the lead character.

A Conclusion That Demands Interpretation

Talking about the end in any depth would be a serious disrespect. The Perfume of the Lady in Black progressively creates a conclusion that is as unexpected as it is unclear and visceral. You will start doubting everything you have just seen as the main ideas of the movie—trauma, guilt, and persecution—come together. A hallmark of a genuinely thought-provoking psychological thriller, it is the sort of conclusion that inspires great controversy and calls for a re-watch. Owing to circumstances in my life that occurred shortly after this screener arrived from Indicator, I watched this film for the first time nearly a month-and-a-half ago and then recently rewatched it just a day ago before writing this review, and I got far more out of it the second time through.

The Final Verdict

Connoisseurs of slow-burn horror and traditional Italian cinema will have to see The Perfume of the Lady in Black. Although it has some stylistic flair of a giallo, its emphasis is clearly on the inner dread of a broken mind. A difficult, disturbing, and masterfully created film that serves as a one-of-a-kind and potent entry in the genre. This hidden masterpiece is waiting to devour you if you’re looking for a psychological mystery that values attitude and character above simple storytelling.

The Video

As per Indicator: The Perfume of the Lady in Black was scanned in 4K at Augustus Color in Rome using the original 35mm negative. 4K HDR color correction and restoration work was undertaken at Filmfinity, London, where Phoenix image-processing tools were used to remove many thousands of instances of dirt, eliminate scratches and other imperfections, as well as repair damaged frames. No grain management, edge enhancement or sharpening tools were employed to artificially alter the image in anyway.

The film is presented in a 1.85:1 HEVC 2160p (4K UHD) Dolby Vision encodement that is crisp and organic. The contrast is superb, with bright specular highlights that aren’t gimmicky, but fitting for the material and format, and radiant colors. Shadow details are extraordinary, but the daytime scenes also look gorgeous and naturally saturated in sunlight, with spot-on flesh tones.

The Audio

Audio conform and restoration work on the English and Italian tracks  for The Perfume of the Lady in Black was carried out by Michael Brooke using iZotope RX 10. They are presented in DTS-HD Master Audio 1.0. The sound is clear and free from clipping, but there is some slight sibiliance.

The Supplements

Indicator like other boutiques like Arrow, for instance, usually comes through with a magnificent amount of bonus features and extras for these limited editions, and The Perfume of the Lady in Black is no exception. We get a number of new interviews with cast and crew and an 80-page book with essay, archival profile, and more.

Limited Edition Contents:

• World premiere on 4K UHD
• Limited edition exclusive 80-page book with a new essay by Paul Duane, an archival profile of actor Mimsy Farmer, a career-spanning archival interview with director Francesco Barilli, and full film credits
• Limited edition of 5,000 individually numbered units (4,000 4K UHDs and 1,000 Blu-rays) for the UK

Bonus Features:

• Two presentations of the film: The Perfume of the Lady in Black, the English-language version; and Il profumo della signora in nero, the Italian-language version
• Audio commentary with film historians Eugenio Ercolani, Troy Howarth, and Nathaniel Thompson (2025)
• Exploring Beauty (2025; 1080p; 00:19:59) — In-depth interview with Francesco Barilli, in which the director reflects on The Perfume of the Lady in Black and his life in art and film
• The Death of Cinema (2025; 1080p; 00:16:05) — Barilli talks about his directorial debut and the challenges of making films in Italy in this new presentation of a 2015 interview
• Portrait in Black (2004; 1080p; 00:24:26) — Archival interview with Barilli on the film’s production and release
• The Memories of the Lady in White (2025; 1080p; 00:11:23) — Interview with German Italian actor Daniela Barnes aka Lara Wendel, who plays the young Sylvia
• The Profumo Affair (2025; 1080p; 00:34:19) — Critical appreciation by author and musician Stephen Thrower
• A Classical Approach (2025; 1080p; 00:33:28) — DJ and soundtrack enthusiast Lovely Jon analyzes Nicola Piovani’s sumptuous score
• Barilli’s Roma (2025; 1080p; 00:05:51) — ‘Then-and-now’ tour of the film’s locations
• Italian Theatrical Trailer (4K UHD; 00:03:21)
• International Theatrical Trailer (4K UHD; 00:03:21)
• Image Gallery (1080p) — Promotional and publicity material

The Final Assessment

A twisting psychological horror-thriller that flirts with being a giallo, but ultimately delivers a satisfying journey into madness, The Perfume of the Lady in Black. Looks stunning and Indicator delivers a packed release in this 4K limited edition. This one fits right in to the “Spooky Season” for folks in the US even though it’s a UK release.

The Perfume of the Lady in Black (Limited Edition) is out on 4K Ultra HD in the UK September 29, 2025 from Indicator

Details

• BBFC cert: 18 
• Studios & Distributors: Euro International Films | Indicator
• Director: Francesco Barilli
• Written By: Francesco Barilli | Massimo D’Avak | Gaston Leroux
• Run Time: 103 Mins.
• Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
• Video Format: HEVC 2160p (4K UHD)
• HDR Format: Dolby Vision (HDR10 Compatible)
• Primary Audio: Italian DTS-HD MA 1.0
• Secondary Audio: English DTS-HD MA 1.0
• Subtitles: English | English SDH
• Street Date: 28 September 2025