American Psycho

American Psycho Review

American Psycho, which was released in 2000, is a thriller film directed by Mary Harron. The movie is inspired by Bret Easton Ellis’s novel. Christian Bale played the leading role of Patrick Bateman in the movie. The film shows a businessman who is a successful individual during the day, but as night falls, he turns into a cold-blooded killer.

Story:

The movie is based on the luxurious lifestyle of Patrick Bateman in the 1980s. He is an investor and banker, and he is very wealthy. During the day, he appears to be a successful individual, but at night, he fulfills his murderous desires. While the world perceives him as a successful person, in reality, he is not. He is a narcissistic and extremely violent individual.

Characters:

• Patrick Bateman (Christian Bale): Christian Bale portrayed this character excellently because it is the role of a calculated target killer who also has to act like a businessman during the day. He played the role brilliantly.
• Evelyn (Reese Witherspoon): This girl is Patrick’s girlfriend, and she has no clue about what her boyfriend is truly like.
• Paul Allen (Jared Leto): He is a colleague of Patrick’s who doesn’t have much of a special connection with him, but Patrick kills him out of anger and jealousy.

Topics:

This movie covers several serious topics, including how a person only lives for appearances and self-hatred. He runs after societal standards and, in the process, destroys his inner peace, never being truly at ease.
Direction and Visuals:
The director of this movie, Mary Harron, has filled the film with suspense, fear, and tension.

Themes:

The themes of this movie have been kept quite dark, such as consumerism, materialism, narcissism, and identity crisis. Patrick’s life is shown in such a way that it reflects how people are so obsessed with the world that they end up destroying their mental peace. It also depicts how Patrick is battling his darkness, even though it is his fault, as he has gone mad in the pursuit of this world’s false name and wealth.


Conclusion:

American Psycho was made with great thought, as it showcases how a person ruins and destroys himself while chasing a life of lies and appearances. The movie may be slightly disturbing due to the violence it contains, but it reflects real truths.

• American Psycho Review