Razor-sharp satire

Rating: 9/10 (1 February 2001)

A powerful attack on mid-80s Wall Street culture, anchored by an Oscar-caliber performance by Christian Bale and smart direction by Mary Harron. American Psycho is the story of Patrick Bateman, a vain and wealthy yuppie whose main interests are vapid pop music and murder. Bateman stands out in a cinemascape overflowing with serial killers: his blankness is more disturbing than any psychotic rant. Bale's portrayal constantly involves and surprises us, able to move effortlessly between coked-up goofiness and cruel violence.
This film should have made much more money, and for those normally put off by horror films the violence and gore are brief: the real focus here is on Bateman, and the society that nurtures him. This character is truly frightening and plausible. For a hard, intelligent look at the modern world's corruption of the American dream you couldn't do better than a double-bill of this film and Fight Club.