Apt Title

Rating: 6/10 (7 February 2005)

Christian Bale lets his dark side out to play in this thriller about a playboy gone delusional. Bale plays the renowned Patrick Bateman but is cast in a much different setting - corporate America. While not given any background as to his psychotic break, Bateman appears to us initially through his stream-of-consciousness, in which we get to hear what is going on inside his head. By day Bateman is the son a corporate mogul, but by night he is fueled by his insatiable carnal and murderous cravings. The corporate world in which he lives in is portrayed as being grossly decadent, full of nothing but materialism and foolish pride. But Bale's intense desire to maintain appearances and be the perfect facade or image of what people are looking for, make him all the more dangerous. Underneath the surface, his hold on reality begins to slip away. His introverted nature cares only for his pride as he competes against his coworkers and fulfills his sexual ego in his relations with several whores. When he loses touch with reality and the consequences of his actions, the blood begins to flow.
"American Psycho" is a unique look at how people have different sides to their personality, some of which are scarily schizophrenic. It gives us a bizarre behind-the-scenes look at a very disturbed individual, much like the film "One Hour Photo", although I wouldn't say "American Psycho" has as much creepy plausibility. 4/10