A brave, if ultimately unnecessary adaptation.

Rating: 9/10 (29 March 2016)

Christian Bale's performance as the deranged Wall Street serial killer Patrick Bateman is the elevating feature of this film. It is a performance of ultimate dedication and passion. Did this film have to be made? not really. Does it totally convey the hopeless and nihilistic themes of the book? not really. Fans of the book will be disappointed by the condensing of a 300 page novel into a one and a half hour film. However, the scenes that are not cut are executed with suitable panache and style, credit to Director Mary Harron. Much of the violence is toned down, and tastefully done, with a cool, sterile colour palette and smooth camera-work juxtaposing the terrible acts committed on screen. It also is executed in a way that brings a dark comedic undertone to this cult classic. This film intrigued me enough to go and read the book. Before I read the novel, I thought the film was amazing. In retrospect, it pales in comparison to the original. However, as a stand alone piece of filmmaking, it is utterly unique and noteworthy. I highly recommend it. Watch if you loved 'Fight Club', which shares many themes but examines them in a different manner, or the TV show 'Mr Robot (Which is heavily inspired by both novels/films)