American Psycho (2000)

Featured Audience Ratings

• John M

  
  I rewatched this for the first time in a long time . . . and I have to say WOW. Christian Bale is just crazy good in this film.

• Jack H

  
  Christian Bale delivers a superbly realised interpretation of Patrick Bateman; his performance has already become iconic. The nuances of Bateman's voice, which has an air of arrogance and comical sincerity, are identified by Bale and expertly delivered. The truly original… More
  Christian Bale delivers a superbly realised interpretation of Patrick Bateman; his performance has already become iconic. The nuances of Bateman's voice, which has an air of arrogance and comical sincerity, are identified by Bale and expertly delivered. The truly original narrator, endlessly quotable script and brilliantly dark, idiosyncratic humour have created a large cult following; it's the proverbial cult film. The film follows Patrick Bateman, a handsome Wall Street executive in the prime of his life who is surrounded by equally affluent and aesthetic contemporaries. He is achingly vapid and appears to not have a sincere relationship with anyone, not even his 'supposed fiancée' Evelyn (Reese Witherspoon). In Bateman's world, everything is for surface value, even his job, which he continues with because he 'wants to fit in'. The film is adapted from Bret Easton Ellis' 1991 controversial novel of the same name. As anyone who has read 'American Psycho' will testify, there are passages that are simply unfilmable, the film was always going to be toned down in comparison. However, I feel the film has been neutered somewhat, I feel the film is lacking a visceral edge, it nails the satire, but it isn't quite dark enough. As the novel progresses, Patrick Bateman becomes increasingly psychotic and depraved, he descends into the depths of madness, and this isn't quite captured in the film. As sordid as it sounds, I do believe the film should have been crueller, darker; it should have put more emphasis on the depersonalisation and sadism of Bateman. Not to the point where it becomes gratuitous, however. But, then again, how do you define gratuitous? At what point does a film or book become gratuitous? These are questions that were at the forefront of my mind when reading the novel, and I think it's very hard to answer. Despite this, it is a good adaptation; Harron and Turner's script is sharp and overall makes good use of its difficult source material. For instance, the film incorporates the book's music chapters to great comic effect; Bateman expressing his admiration and laughably deep analysis of Genesis, Whitney Houston and Huey Lewis and The News to prospective victims. Through these scenes the viewer witnesses the lengths of Bateman's vapidity. It is a rather difficult film to wholly appreciate and absorb on initial viewing, which is good, because I feel 'American Psycho' has much replay value; I have revisited both the book and film countless times. Much like the novel, the film polarised audiences, and it doesn't surprise me. When viewing for the first time, one must appreciate Bret Easton Ellis used a large helping of hyperbole to convey his message of greed and superficiality, and also a good deal of surrealism. The way in which Bateman's associates repeatedly forget each other's names and identities and how Bateman's actions become questionably implausible may confuse or deter the viewer. However, depressingly, in our world of revolting socialites and vacuous celebrity and fashion culture, the extent of American Psycho's hyperbole is becoming increasingly dubious in places. 'American Psycho' is a peculiar creation. Many people get it and love it; however I'm sure many would be perplexed by it, maybe completely disappointed by it. I am biased, but I know that I am one of many people who fully appreciate 'American Psycho', part of a large group who will know what you mean when you say 'I have to return some videotapes'. Some won't like or appreciate it, and that's no detriment of the viewer's, but if you do, then I think you'll find yourself revisiting the film and picking up a copy of Ellis' compulsively readable novel. However, regardless of whether you like it, I can guarantee that you'll never hear Phil Collins' 'Sussudio' in the same way afterwards.

• Letitia L

  
  Disgustingly elitist, laugh-out-loud funny, and chilling.

• Mike S

  
  Hypnotically brilliant crime thriller, with a star-making performance by the amazing Christian Bale. His multi-layered interpretation of psychotic killer Patrick Bateman, leaves you stunned, mesmerized and in awe of his incredible talent. His facial expressions alone hold such… More
  Hypnotically brilliant crime thriller, with a star-making performance by the amazing Christian Bale. His multi-layered interpretation of psychotic killer Patrick Bateman, leaves you stunned, mesmerized and in awe of his incredible talent. His facial expressions alone hold such fantastic subtlety, that you get a true sense of every thought behind his character's eyes. Adapted from a best-selling novel by Bret Easton Ellis, the writing in the film is just as exceptional. Dark and often bizarre, yet also with a strange humorous quality in all the madness that springs from Bateman's head. The great detail payed to his demeanour and compulsive obsessions - such as a strict set of routines where he indulges in extreme vanity - adds gravitas in abundance, while making him the most fascinating maniac since Dr. Hannibal Lecter. My only beef with the film is the inconclusive ending, which although suggesting heavily towards a certain plot twist, failed to satisfy me with any definitive answers. Apart from that, however, it's a great and absorbing watch. Worth seeing just for the bravura performance by a career-best Christian Bale.

• Jeff "

  
  American Psycho is truly a deranged, terrifying film. It's a film that examines the life of a serial killer. In this case, we are introduced to a yuppie named Patrick Bateman, a seemingly ordinary person who loves to murder women. Christian Bale brings Bateman to life effectively… More
  American Psycho is truly a deranged, terrifying film. It's a film that examines the life of a serial killer. In this case, we are introduced to a yuppie named Patrick Bateman, a seemingly ordinary person who loves to murder women. Christian Bale brings Bateman to life effectively well, and his portrayal is really terrifying and truly disturbing. Based on the controversial book of the same name, the book is said to have inspired Canadian Serial Killer Paul Bernardo in killing three women. An unforgiving look inside Bateman mind, American Psycho is really an in your face type of film as it does not shy away from showing you his perfect little yuppie life. No the film shows how Patrick Bateman really is, a monster and a maniac. A truly unique Horror film, American Psycho is a film that belongs on the very short list of terrifying serial killer films. Having read the book, There's a lot of material that was cut out from the book for this adaptation. As a reader of the book, I can say that Mary Harron kept the key ideas from Ellis's book and has made a very good adaptation of a controversial work. The film has some black comedy overtones which can really disturb the viewer. Christian Bale is perfect in the role, and he makes the role of Patrick \Bateman his own. I enjoyed the film, and I thought it was a fi8ne blend of psychological horror, drama and dark comedy. A must see if you want a terrific psychological horror film.

• Jonathan H

  
  For me, the old adage "you haven't seen a film unless you've seen it twice" couldn't be more applicable when it comes to American Psycho. Upon my first viewing years ago, I didn't think much of it; seeing it last night on the big screen was a dramatically… More
  For me, the old adage "you haven't seen a film unless you've seen it twice" couldn't be more applicable when it comes to American Psycho. Upon my first viewing years ago, I didn't think much of it; seeing it last night on the big screen was a dramatically different experience. As a film critic said, this film is a smart, dark, funny, and boldly profound satire that cleverly equates materialism, narcissism, misogyny, and classism with homicide. It's one man's sobering realization of the shallow life he leads, and his desperate attempt to get out of it--which, thanks to a brilliantly staged ambiguous ending, we're not sure if he does (or is that even an option?). I found out that to this day, director Mary Harron isn't sure if she achieved her goal in making this film (undercutting all of your plot resolutions in the third act to give way to a message that transcends your story will do that to you). For me, she hit it out of the park. A stunning achievement. I love reading all of the different takes on American Psycho and seeing so many people completely miss the point of this film (hell, I was one of them). That's what the very best cinema can do.

• Matheus C

  
  Who would have foretold back then that Christian Bale was the perfect choice for the role, as it has been proved by his recent tabloid scandals. He definetly gave birth to a new breed: the metrosexual killer.

• Shawn E

  
  It's as terrifying as it is hysterical. Brilliant work by Christian Bale.

• Melvin W

  
  Patrick Bateman: I'm on a diet. Jean: What, you're kidding, right? You look great... so fit... and thin. Patrick Bateman: Well, you can always be thinner... look better. Jean: Then maybe we shouldn't go out to dinner. I wouldn't want you to lose your willpower.… More
  Patrick Bateman: I'm on a diet. Jean: What, you're kidding, right? You look great... so fit... and thin. Patrick Bateman: Well, you can always be thinner... look better. Jean: Then maybe we shouldn't go out to dinner. I wouldn't want you to lose your willpower. Patrick Bateman: That's okay. I'm not very good at controlling it anyway. American Psycho is an oddly funny and disturbing film. It's classified as a horror movie, but I'm not buying that. It's views on materialism and outer appearances is very obvious. The characters care about who has the best business cards, the best apartments, and who can get into the best restaurants. Bateman cares about how he looks. He details how he keeps his face looking smooth. He tans, wears the best clothes, and talks about how is haircut is slightly better than a man who looks very similar. Conformity and pop-culture are heavy influences on the characters. Bateman details pop-music in amazing detail and it's really humorous. Bateman also gets mistaken for different people throughout the movie because everyone dresses the same and have a slicked back haircut. They all look alike. Now, I'll switch gears and talk about the obvious highlight of American Psycho and that is Christian Bales performance. His performance as Patrick Bateman is funny, insightful, and disturbing all at the same time. He's powerful when he needs to be. Although, I love his Batman character; this is probably his best performance. The ending does leave the rest of the movie up to interpretation. If you haven't seen the movie, you probably shouldn't read the rest of this review. *Spoiler* My interpretation is that all of Batemans murders are just his fantasies and that he hasn't actually killed anyone. Some evidence of this is the night he supposedly killed Paul Allen, his friends said that he was with them. Another clue is that when he drops the chainsaw from the staircase and kills the woman; the scene switches to him drawing a dead woman on his table at a restaraunt. He lives his fantasies through his drawings and this is shown at the end when his secreatary sees all his drawings in his schedule book. Also, when he feels like he's not the best or fitting in; it immediately jumps to him executing an act of violence. When everyones showing off their business cards and Bateman sees that Allen's is better it jumps to him killing a homeless man. Although I'm not completely sold on my interpretation; it is what I'm leaning towards. Either way, the film is very effective and is worth the watch if not for Bales performance only.

• Bethany M

  
  I had heard about this film quite a while and bought it on DVD. I sat down to watch it and I couldn't help but be throughly confused but amazed by the shocking darkness Christian Bale's character had. He played the role very well and there is no doubt that he's a… More
  I had heard about this film quite a while and bought it on DVD. I sat down to watch it and I couldn't help but be throughly confused but amazed by the shocking darkness Christian Bale's character had. He played the role very well and there is no doubt that he's a brilliant actor. It leaves you with a lot of unanswered questions but the gore and horror of the scene give it the stars for me. Really had you in shock.

• Zach B

  
  The original novel that this film is based on was written by a man by the name of Bret Easton Ellis and his original tale was meant to be a dark humorous satire on the 80's culture and the entire Yuppie movement that was taking place during the Wall Street at the time. In case… More
  The original novel that this film is based on was written by a man by the name of Bret Easton Ellis and his original tale was meant to be a dark humorous satire on the 80's culture and the entire Yuppie movement that was taking place during the Wall Street at the time. In case you are a nut case, Yuppies are people that try to be perfect humans to such a point that they start to loose themselves. This is the story of one such man who just happens to have a sick, dark secret that we can only fathom about. Okay, background out of the way, onto the details of this film. In terms of direction, Mary Harron does good with the material she is given. If one has read the novel, you would know exactly how graphic and disturbing the content is. So, I am giving her props on toning it down and some of the more disturbing bits only hinting at. With her, she actually made the pacing of the film a lot more faster then that of the novel so that was a relatively large surprise. Now, acting wise, you have top performances in this film. You have classic actors like Christian Bale, Willem Dafoe to '30 Seconds To Mars' lead singer Jared Leto to Reese Witherspoon. They all do fantastic jobs, but it is Bale who steal the show giving a performance that would go on to define him as an actor for years to come. Now, the score to this film is reminiscent of that of Director Quentin Tarantino's films in the style of picking songs that have been out of style for a long time (like 'Huey Lewis and the News' Hip To Be Square) and brings them back in a smashing way. While the song selections are great, I would have liked an original score to have been made to fit this film. Now for the main downfall of this entire film: Production. While this film, production wise, is good, one part of the production is the script and the script is left to be desired upon. Part of what made the original novel so great was all of the parts that were satires on 80s culture. Most of them are gone just to create a Dark Comedy. Personally, this film would have been better if the film added another hour (the film is beyond fast pace as is) just to create more of the satire perspective then the dark humor perspective. Overall, this is a pretty good film (if you can handle some of Bale's heavy nude shots (I tried to bare with them, but remember that this viewer is straight)) that should have been more satire then dark humor.

• KJ P

  
  In this psychotic thriller of a film, Christian Bale plays Patrick Bateman, a man who discovers that one of his colleagues is a wealthier man than him, it sends what used to be a casual murder here and there, to a killing spree that is cleverly hidden for nobody to see. This film… More
  In this psychotic thriller of a film, Christian Bale plays Patrick Bateman, a man who discovers that one of his colleagues is a wealthier man than him, it sends what used to be a casual murder here and there, to a killing spree that is cleverly hidden for nobody to see. This film shines with brilliance in a psychopathic way. With a fantastic cast, brutally stunning serial killing sequences, a fast paced plot, and a well-written script, American Psycho far exceeded my expectations. Now this is what I'm talking about, a film that makes you scream before anything happens! Terrific film!

• Spencer S

  
  A bloodbath that never swells to the level of the inner monolouge, American Psycho is a mixed bag of serial killer madness, horror, and a commentary on the yuppie culture of the 80's. The beginning builds up nicely with the self possessed Bateman, toning himself up and using his… More
  A bloodbath that never swells to the level of the inner monolouge, American Psycho is a mixed bag of serial killer madness, horror, and a commentary on the yuppie culture of the 80's. The beginning builds up nicely with the self possessed Bateman, toning himself up and using his lifestyle and body to condone the heinous crimes he perpetrates against society. Cutting down colleagues, hookers, homeless people, and random government workers, blood saturates everything from the plot to the illicit dialouge. Besides the mere fact that Bateman is slowly increasing the level of his perverse actions, his fantasies are blurring into his reality. A great part for Christian Bale, with a standout role for Jared Leto and the always independent Chloe Sevigny.

• Coxxie M

  
  this movie is fearless and honest and just beautiful like the book. you can thank the director for that. who is a lesbian woman. and the book is written by a gay man. so incase you thought the movie was sexist... no.

• Emile T

  
  Long Live Christian Bale. The new Robert De Niro.

• Chris W

  
  As good as this movie is, it left me underwhelmed and really wanting more. Maybe I should read the book? This is a darkly comedic thriller that is a satire of the 1980s yuppie culture focusing on Patrick Bateman- the archetypical 80s man who's a real asshole and psycho, yet… More
  As good as this movie is, it left me underwhelmed and really wanting more. Maybe I should read the book? This is a darkly comedic thriller that is a satire of the 1980s yuppie culture focusing on Patrick Bateman- the archetypical 80s man who's a real asshole and psycho, yet prides himself on his vanity and materialism. This is a twisted movie, but it is apparently toned down quite a bit from the source material Instead of focusing on gore and sadism the targets are the 80s culture, Bateman's meticulous routine, and the looming threat of danger/paranoia/madness. I actually wouldn't mind it if the film were longer and contained some of the more explicit stuff from the book I've heard a lot about, Much of it is alluded to in the film, but the inner sicko in me has a desire to see it played out on celluloid. The lead performance by Bale is terrific. If I'm not mistaken, this is the film that really brought his career to the level that it's at today. I realize he a career for a longwhile before this, but still- this is what made him a star. He's a joy to watch even if his character is one of the least likeable ever-and that's without including the mayhem stuff. The other performances are also pretty decent, although no one is able to top Bale's scenery chewing. This is a very entertaining film, and it has lots of style. It's also got lots of artistic merit and is ripe for discussions. Bale's mother in law Gloria Steinem protested the book due to the book's depicting of violence against women, so it's kind of funny to me that her future son in law would end up being in the adaptation. But the thing to remember is that this is satire, and the content is never really gratituous, leaving most everything to the imagination. Also, it's directed by a woman. In her hands the content comes out as less exploitative, similar to Howard Stern's Private Parts- another film about a misogynistic ass directed by a woman (Betty Thomas). I was a bit let down by this film since it underwhelmed me, but I liked it, and it's some pretty compelling and engrossing stuff nonetheless.

• James A

  
  Besides Bale running through the halls naked and covered in blood with white sneakers on this movie was a let down. Maybe I would have liked it more in 2000.

• Dean !

  
  A brilliant horror film that has more than its fair share of dark humour. A yuppie loses the plot and ends up killing people off...in between facial packs, working out and dining at the best restaurants!

• Steven C

  
  An excellent interpretation of Bret Easton Ellis's siren novel from the 90s. It includes some outrageous and pitch perfect acting from Christian Bale and the entire cast, some spot on Reagan 80s social commentary and wickedly funny satire. At it's heart "American… More
  An excellent interpretation of Bret Easton Ellis's siren novel from the 90s. It includes some outrageous and pitch perfect acting from Christian Bale and the entire cast, some spot on Reagan 80s social commentary and wickedly funny satire. At it's heart "American Psycho" is a high comedy and a fascinating study of a mind drenched in chaos.

• Nelson P

  
  An almost perfect adaption of the novel, while it doesn't follow the same structure as the novel it clearly defines the same character and story. Christian Bale is Patrick Bateman, never has an actor fit the part of a literary character so well and so perfectly.

Read all 20 featured audience ratings