Directed by:
Mary HarronCinematography:
Andrzej SekulaComposer:
John CaleCast:
Christian Bale, Jared Leto, Reese Witherspoon, Chloë Sevigny, Willem Dafoe, Justin Theroux, Josh Lucas, Bill Sage, Samantha Mathis, Matt Ross, Cara Seymour (more)VOD (3)
Plots(1)
A businessman who leads a double life as a serial killer struggles to keep up appearances and hold his sanity. (Netflix)
Videos (1)
Reviews (11)
A probe into the mind of a member of a certain animal species from Wall Street who revels in expensive formal suits and designer goods, slaps on all sorts of menthol, moisturizing and peeling masks, regularly visits tanning salons, blathers about nothing in his circle of friends passing it off as serious deep musings. His measure of success is, among other things, the appearance of his business card, which he likes to compare with his equally afflicted friends, and to be free and cool, he goes to parties to snort coke. In fact, he is so bored with his emotional emptiness that he entertains himself in a quite "original" way, he kills. Those empty-minded suits sometimes make you so sick that the murders aren't even that disgusting in comparison. And to be honest, the murders are the least interesting thing about the whole movie.
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As an expedition into the soul of a sociopathic killer, the film is very decent and benefits especially from good monologues and debates by the main character, they are almost philosophical and manage to stick in the viewer's mind, but apart from that the film is too empty and doesn't offer much else. Visually and narratively it is too simple and doesn't impress with anything, so those who expect anything more than philosophical musings will probably not be satisfied. But otherwise, Christian Bale is excellent as usual.
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After finishing Bret Easton Ellis's novel, I revisited the film adaptation and appreciated it even more. Knowing the source material enhanced my viewing experience. The film is brilliantly assembled, featuring numerous dialogues lifted straight from the book. The novel’s diary-like format contributes to its cold portrayal of Patrick Bateman as a narcissistic psychopath, a character that the film captures perfectly. The book is infamous for its graphic depictions of murder, sexual acts, cannibalism, and other grotesque elements. Thankfully, the film doesn't delve too deeply into these explicit scenes. Instead, it focuses on the psychology of the main character, which I believe was a smart move. This approach creates a more effective portrayal through subtle hints, like Bateman playing with a lock of his victim’s hair, rather than relying on explicit brutality. Christian Bale delivers a stellar performance as Patrick Bateman, embodying the role with chilling precision. The novel is cleverly written, juxtaposing violent episodes with mundane chapters about fashion and business, creating a cohesive picture that reads like the diary of a madman. Some may see it as an attempt to shock or as a grotesque novel for the disturbed, but it’s more than that. Ellis’s work reflects reality and the behaviors of certain people, revealing that such individuals exist among us. Ellis hit the nail on the head, and both the book and film are masterpieces in their own right.
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I was wondering the whole time if Christian Bale's acting was merely overacting or basically a near-perfect performance. It's abundantly clear that a subject this interesting will stir up controversy at the mere mention of it and demand the attention of the wider public – just because of WHAT IT'S ABOUT. Personally, I was satisfied, I didn't even mind the "over-pointed" ending and as a result American Psycho impressed me as a worthy precursor to Dexter or Mr. Brooks.
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// - I can’t believe that Bryce prefers Van Patten’s card to mine. // - But wait. You ain't seen nothin' yet. Raised lettering, pale nimbus. White. - Impressive. Very nice. Hmm, let’s see Paul Allen’s card. // Look at that subtle off-white coloring. The tasteful thickness of it. Oh, my God. It even has a watermark. //
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