An Interesting Look into the Dark Side of Yuppie Culture

Rating: 7/10 (7 February 2017)

Based on the controversial bestselling novel by Bret Easton Ellis, this terrifying film remains a constantly debated masterpiece of early 21st century cinema. A notable first for the film's success being directed by a woman and secondly for the intense and insane performance by Christian Bale as the titular psycho, it is sometimes difficult to remember why the film has a bit of a cult following.
There is so much to say about the bravado performance of Christian Bale in the pivotal role of Patrick Bateman, an arrogant and unstable Wall Street broker, but also difficult to describe the insanity that ensues. While A- list star Leonardo DiCaprio was the first choice for the part, the actor passed on the dark subject matter and the previously fired (the filmmakers weren't convinced that the little known Christian was right for the part) Bale was called back to take over the role he had lost out on. Channeling charisma equivalent to acting superstar Tom Cruise (Bale and other crew members stated in interviews that he did model his look for Bateman on the A-list star) while masking a wicked secret, Bale keeps himself restrained as much as possible until the madness suddenly erupts like a volcano. Take for instance the infamous ax murder to the song 'Hip to Be Square' by Huey Lewis and the News, where Bale is as calm and friendly as can be until he unleashes his hatred for Jared Leto's Paul Allen in a gleefully maniacal rage and hacks the character to death. The madness only escalates as Bale's Bateman falls even further into insanity, but is he really a homicidal maniac or is he a delusional madman?
The film boasts a stellar supporting cast of players who all play unique parts within the narrative. Aforementioned future Oscar winner Jared Leto is Paul Allen, a fellow broker and the first victim of Bateman's wickedness to harm his fellow man, Samantha Mathis as an ill-fated friend of Bateman's, Willem Dafoe as a FBI man who is looking into the fate of Leto's Paul Allen, Chloe Sevigny as Patrick's compassionate secretary who finds out what a monster Bateman might be and future Oscar winning actress Reese Witherspoon is Bateman's clueless and wealth-obsessed fiancé.
Under the careful direction of Mary Harron, the film maintains an ambiguity that is needed for the narrative. We see everything through Patrick Bateman's eyes, which provides us with an unreliable narrator. Given that we do see his heinous crimes as he commits them, we are inclined to believe that Patrick has been telling us the truth, but when the film's ending hits we the audience are thrown for a loop. Was everything real, did the murders actually or was it the confessions of a mentally unstable lunatic? The question is left unanswered and lingering in our minds after the credits roll.
The movie does eliminate some of the book's more horrific elements like the implication of cannibalism and some of the on-screen violence is also toned down, but still maintains terror and gruesome content without being too nauseating. There is also some disturbing scenes of sexual content mixed with violence which is deeply unsettling. This is not a film for the sensitive viewers. Don't watch if you have a weak stomach or dislike a black comedy horror picture.