Wonderfully surreal

Rating: 8/10 (3 March 2001)

[possible minor spoilers]

American Psycho brilliantly distinguishes itself from many other immature, horror hack-n-slash flicks that have plagued the decade. The tone of the movie is quite calm, giving the movie an adult, deeper level of atmosphere. The movie is in first person narrative, quite an odd, yet refreshing view of a serial killer and his motives and thoughts. From the first moments, the audience is led into the very personal life of Bateman, our psycho. His rigorous personal lifestyle and painfully sequenced daily procedures speak of a different incarnation than the cleancut facade of a wall streeter. Darker deeds and reflections surface as the movie proceeds.
The dreamlike atmosphere is greatly heightened by Bateman's numerous, intimate appraisals of music and the correspondingly cold, logical analysises of its chronology. Bateman speaks like a professor. His words are ever calm, and flows outward without hesitation or barriers. Such relaxed and intelligent demeanor is hardly what one would expect in a psycho, yet this is Bateman's greatest triumph, his double life.
As all the events are set in motion, the movie rolls faster and faster toward the end. Bateman eventually loses control of his tenuous sanity and goes postal. Then the ending comes and, after seeing half the credits roll off the screen, you realize what really happened, and then begin to comprehend the bitter-sweet anticlimax.
Well worth the time and price.