Understand that it's a dark comedy

Rating: 8/10 (11 December 2013)

Upon my first viewing of American Psycho, I was deeply disturbed. I was left feeling empty and disgusted by the violent and unsympathetic tale of Bale's character. Of course, my opinion has since changed, and it is actually one of my all-time favorites. What I didn't realize from my first viewing of this film is that American Psycho isn't really a "drama" or a "horror-thriller". It's actually a dark comedy, and an insanely quotable one at that!
After multiple viewings, the movie actually felt very light-hearted in a strange, twisted way. It's intention was to be over the top and poke fun at the upper-class. Christian Bale's performance initially left me feeling sick to my stomach, but that is only proof of the man's talent. The character of Patrick Bateman doesn't kill people because he has to, he kills people because he enjoys it. Christian Bale made me believe he enjoyed his murder spree. I'd hate to know how he prepared for this role!
Bale's co-stars do a great job too, with solid performances from a few well known actors (Reece Witherspoon, Jered Leto, and William Defoe), and many lesser known actors. The entire cast and crew did a great job of bringing the audience into a world where greed and selfishness is the forefront of this familiar society. The world that director Marry Harron created is merely a parodied reflection of our own society. We live in a time when people are more concerned with their own public-image than the well-being of others. American Psycho found a way to make us laugh about it.