Darkly satirical social commentary

Rating: 8/10 (9 February 2007)

American Psycho is a dark, blood-soaked chunk of satire about a hideous beast that isn't as uncommon as we think. As what we wear and where we eat start taking priority over what we do and how we do it, this monster could very well be any of us. Based on the 1991 novel by the same name, this is neither a horror nor a slasher film. The caricatures and allegories give an entirely other-worldly feel to what otherwise seems like regular, recognizable settings.
This is the story of Patrick Bateman (the buff and often butt-naked Christian Bale), who is the epitome of a yuppie. He knows which exfoliating creams his face needs and which water-proof bath gel works best for him. He does a thousand crunches a day and gets himself artificial tanning and regular manicures. With this level of self-love, comes an overpowering sense of narcissism and the insatiable desire to get attention. Obsessively name-dropping, sporting the most desirable brands, and being seen at some of the most exclusive places is most of what Bateman and his ilk do. As the life of conspicuous consumption carries on, we see his conversations becoming trite, relationships losing any meaning, and quick ways of getting high taking precedence. Most of Patrick Bateman's social interaction are shown as awkward and understandably so, as a person as self-involved as him will not be able to carry on a normal conversation with anyone.
Things slowly start getting out of hand as his craving for attention turns into uber-competitiveness that turns lethal for those involved. The hunger for highs, the callousness from having all luxuries one can ask for, and a lack of purpose push Bateman into a darker world where he prowls the night soliciting prostitutes and potential slashing victims. Things slowly take a turn for the fantastic as ATMs start demanding feline offerings and random people getting shot by the dozen. After a certain point, it doesn't even matter whether these things happened. And it is at this level where the film works its magic.
There is a distinct quality of surrealism throughout the film. In this topsy-turvy world, people talk in a strange tongue and give importance to the oddest things. The symbolic and satirical tone of the film works perfectly, and it seems like there wasn't another way that would have worked. The extremes shown in the film do efficiently what a more direct way couldn't have. This is certainly not one of the easiest films to watch or appreciate. But to say that it serves only to shock you would be doing disservice to it. It doesn't preach and instead shows us the despicable psychopath that lives in a small corner within all of us.