My all-time favorite movie.

Rating: 10/10 (28 October 2019)

I haven't read the book, and opinion is divided on whether it's better than the movie or not, but personally I don't want to read the book because I don't want anything different. The book is ambiguous as to whether Patrick Bateman actually carries out his crimes (i.e. he's a psycho) or not (i.e. he hallucinated or dreamed them), leaning towards the former, but the movie is definitely on the side of the paranoid schizophrenia theory. All the crimes take place at night and most of them feature elements that are utterly improbable, such as managing to hit a running person in the back with a chainsaw by dropping it several floors down a spiral staircase, managing to drag a body-bag trailing blood through a staffed foyer and out onto the street without anyone noticing, and managing to wipe out two armed patrol units and their cars (blowing them up) using a pistol loaded with a single magazine while not even taking a graze.
Therefore, I have always approached this movie as a satire rather than a horror, with the protagonist being one to pity rather than to despise. As such, I believe it is far more rewarding and entertaining than it would be otherwise.
Opinion will always be divided on this movie, as it still leaves some ambiguity in terms of where reality stops and Bateman's imagination begins.
Whatever the case, this is a movie that everyone should see at least once, if only to decide for one's self, but more so because it is visually stunning, with faultless and compelling direction, perspicacious script and realistic characterization.