Social commentary meets horror

Rating: 10/10 (10 August 2002)

American Psycho is one of the best films I've seen in recent years; it is always refreshing to see a film with something to say. By the way, I've never read the book.
American Psycho is not a film for the faint-hearted. One could argue that at times the violence appears to be of the tongue-in-cheek, over the top style of Evil Dead, for instance, but I think that is to miss the point. Clearly here the intention is to provoke a reaction, and to ask the question "why?", not to provide convincing real-life scenarios.
Christian Bale as Patrick Bateman excels: you could feel Bateman's tension reach out from the screen. I found that near the end I was feeling more sympathy for Bateman than for anyone as he alone had shown emotional reactions to his environment.
I particularly like the fact that the film felt like a complete work; the themes in it were explored. Technically I found the film to be superb: photography, lighting and sets were stark and appropriate to the story; Bateman's choice in music was simply hilarious.
Note to some other reviewers: this film is not a whodunnit! If you've ever thought about a film you saw for more than five minutes then go and watch it: you won't be disappointed.