Mirroring society

Rating: Null/10 (18 October 2000)

Sadist, nihilist, narcissist Patrick Bateman satisfies his craving for bloodlust on the big screen adaptation of Brett Easton Ellis' highly controversial bestseller. In contrast to the novel, American Psycho's cinematic counterpart is much less focussed on the details of psychotic murders and personal turmoil. The movie spins around the startling maze of self-obsessed, materialistic, shallow yuppies, which indirectly allow Bateman to commit his crimes. It's a downright accusation of corrupt corporate culture and mindless consumerism.
Director Mary Harron cleverly cut out most of the killing sprees from the book. Violence is still dominant, but rather than a straightforward blood-drenched thriller, the movie turns into a pitch-black comedy by shifting its focus to childlike obsession for petty details, such as business card font sizes. This narrative shift turns out all the better for understanding character depth and corrupt culture.
The movie cleverly plays with audience expectations. The excellent and surprising opening sequence is just one of the many examples. Soon after, Patrick Bateman introduces himself, by telling us in voice over about his workout, beauty and fashion regime. Obviously, his beauty is only skin deep, but his self-imposed, nazi-type regiment does turn him into a physically beautiful "Ubermensch". Christian Bale's acting is genuine - he is Patrick Bateman. SPOILER ALERT The movie seems to drown in shallowness when Bateman's colleagues and girlfriends are introduced. But parallel to his insecure, big-mouthed, sexist and utterly boring life of a Wall Street geek by day run the devious excursions of a murderous freak by night. When killing, Bateman turns from kitchen knives to chainsaws. Slowly and steadily we enter the mind of a psychotic, empty shell with the extreme need to be different to others.
Ideally, you've read the book before watching the movie. American Psycho does require a fair bit of reading between the lines to understand the underlying message. If you just want to satisfy your cravings for bloody thrillers, you'll be disappointed.
This movie bears a resemblance to Tarantino's Pulp Fiction and Reservoir Dogs. All three combine violence with humour and pop culture. American Psycho does make you laugh at times, but its underlying message is much more disturbing, since this culture might resemble the one you're all too familiar with.