Tom Tykwer
Known for
Tom Tykwer is a German director born in Wuppertal, celebrated for kinetic, structurally inventive films that experiment with time, chance, and interconnected narrative. Run Lola Run, following three alternate versions of a young woman's frantic race to save her boyfriend's life, became an international breakout hit for its propulsive editing and techno-scored visual energy, establishing Tykwer as a defining stylist of German cinema's post-reunification generation. Perfume: The Story of a Murderer, adapting Patrick Süskind's novel about an obsessive perfumer and killer, showed his equally strong command of atmospheric period filmmaking, while Cloud Atlas, co-directed with the Wachowskis, wove six interlocking timelines spanning centuries into one of the most structurally ambitious studio films of its era. Tykwer's recurring fascination with interconnected fate and formally daring narrative structure has made him one of contemporary German cinema's most internationally recognized directors.
Tom Tykwer
18 Directed
2 Series
Tom Tykwer is a German director born in Wuppertal, celebrated for kinetic, structurally inventive films that experiment with time, chance, and interconnected narrative. Run Lola Run, following three alternate versions of a young woman's frantic race to save her boyfriend's life, became an international breakout hit for its propulsive editing and techno-scored visual energy, establishing Tykwer as a defining stylist of German cinema's post-reunification generation. Perfume: The Story of a Murderer, adapting Patrick Süskind's novel about an obsessive perfumer and killer, showed his equally strong command of atmospheric period filmmaking, while Cloud Atlas, co-directed with the Wachowskis, wove six interlocking timelines spanning centuries into one of the most structurally ambitious studio films of its era. Tykwer's recurring fascination with interconnected fate and formally daring narrative structure has made him one of contemporary German cinema's most internationally recognized directors.
Movies
Director
Cloud Atlas
2012
Director
Perfume: The Story of a Murderer
2006
Director
Run Lola Run
1998
Director
The International
2009
Director
Paris Je T'aime
2006
Director
A Hologram for the King
2016
Director
Heaven
2002
Director
Three
2010
Director
The Princess and the Warrior
2000
Director
The Light
2025
Director
Deadly Maria
1993
Director
Winter Sleepers
1997
Director
True
2004
Director
Because
1990
Director
Epilog
1992
Director
Germany ’09 – 13 Short Films About the State of the Nation
2009
Latest Trailers
Watch Trailer
How I Learned to Love the Numbers
Full Filmography
The Light
Director
2025
Film
Babylon Berlin
Creator
2017–
TV
A Hologram for the King
Director
2016
Film
Sense8
Director · 3 episodes
2015–
TV
Cloud Atlas
Director
2012
Film
Three
Director
2010
Film
Germany ’09 – 13 Short Films About the State of the Nation
Director
2009
Film
The International
Director
2009
Film
Perfume: The Story of a Murderer
Director
2006
Film
Photos
Frequently Asked Questions
How old is Tom Tykwer and where are they from?
Tom Tykwer is 61 years old, born on May 23, 1965 in Wuppertal, Germany.
What are the most famous roles of Tom Tykwer?
Tom Tykwer is best known for directing Cloud Atlas, Perfume: The Story of a Murderer, Run Lola Run.
How many movies has Tom Tykwer directed?
Over a 36-year career (since 1990), Tom Tykwer has directed or written 18 films and worked on 2 TV shows.
What was Tom Tykwer's first movie?
The career of Tom Tykwer began with Because (1990).
What is Tom Tykwer's most recent movie or series?
Tom Tykwer's most recent release is The Light, which premiered on March 20, 2025.
What TV shows has Tom Tykwer created or directed?
On television, Tom Tykwer has appeared in Sense8, Babylon Berlin.
Tom Tykwer
1965-05-23 · Wuppertal, Germany
Tom Tykwer (German: [ˈtɪkvɐ]; born 23 May 1965) is a German film director, screenwriter, and composer. He is best known internationally for directing Run Lola Run (1998), Heaven (2002), Perfume: The Story of a Murderer (2006), and The International (2009).