Frightening and fascinating

Rating: 7/10 (31 May 2019)

This is hard to watch at times. Patrick Bateman's cruelty is what is at issue: how is it motivated, from whence does it come, is it in everyone? At times this film seems to suggest that the unrestrained mayhem and viciousness displayed by the main character are present in all humans; and the social masks we wear are merely thin disguises for the aggression, greed, and cruelty which operate below the surface. The movie presents society as a tightly rehearsed dance of protocol, virtue signaling, discreet conformity to social norms. In one scene characters display business cards with subtle differences in what appears to be a critique of how restrictive society is that the only thing left to choice, the only mode of self expression is a water mark on a card, or raised lettering. When Patrick Bateman snaps it is a horror show of epic proportions. This is not easy material to render and the director deserves a lot of credit. Sexuality is presented as naked aggression, animal-level conduct divorced from sincere emotion or communication. Characters in this movie exist in profound isolation, unaware of their motives, operating at a level of seeking or maintaining status. If a darker vision of modern society exists on film I am not aware of it. Even Kubrick's 'Eyes Wide Shut' had a few moments of familial contentment, and an expression of love, which you won't find here. Not to suggest this movie needs any of that. It is a psychological study, a dark one at that; and if you are inclined to ponder the depths of what is inside the human animal this movie is "food for thought."