American Psycho

Inside a degrading mind

American Psycho (2000) is a very interesting and surprisingly entertaining movie. The main role, Patrick Bateman, played by Christian Bale (Batman from The Dark Knight trilogy), is a masterfully crafted portrayal of a delusional and psychologically degrading businessman from New York.

It is an adaptation of the book of the same name. The differences are obvious, since a film has a limited runtime, but a few really stand out. The key one is that the movie is extremely mild in its violence and depictions, unlike the book.

Right after watching it, my first thought was: "That is Joker level filmmaking" and I stand by that. The acting is excellent, the story is far more engaging than expected, especially considering the film's often slow pacing. The atmosphere is well set, and the soundtrack is used effectively when it appears.

The film depicts violence without stylistic filters, making it feel far more grounded than a typical horror movie or thriller.

Patrick's gradual psychosis is clearly visible, yet the whole movie is structured for open interpretation. The general consensus is that the story unfolds through Patrick Bateman's narration, and that narration is extremely unreliable while his sanity dissolves into total madness.

The core plot can be summed up as a story taking place inside the mind of a man who is emotionally hollow and socially unimportant, yet clings to narcissistic values and a polished outer shell. The final scenes, and the detective's lack of follow-up, reveal a lot about the scale of his delusions.

The film has some plot holes, but they can be reasonably explained by the deteriorating state of the narrator's mind, which becomes part of the story itself.

Overall, this is a masterpiece and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Even 25 years after release, it is still highly watchable. It delivers on its themes and adds a little extra spark on top.