Perfume and Pain follows Astrid Dahl, a mid-list author who moves into a small bungalow in Los Angeles with her vast perfume collection after a career setback. While dealing with the fallout from the incident, she distracts herself with brief flings with Ivy, a grad student, and Penelope, her new neighbor. As Astrid's career gets a chance to revive through a TV adaptation offer, she becomes entangled in tensions with Penelope and her own destructive vices—Adderall, alcohol, and cigarettes. Navigating her personal and professional challenges, Astrid finds herself in a simmering mix of attraction and conflict. A satirical and bold homage to lesbian pulp fiction, Anna Dorn blends humor, sensuality, and a critique of Hollywood and celebrity obsession.