Review of American Psycho (2000) by Michael Lee T — 18 Oct 2016
An intense and intriguingly gripping character driven feature directed by Mary Harron. American Psycho revolves around Patrick Bateman (Christian Bale), a wealthy New York investment banking executive that continually hides his deranged psychopathic alter ego from co-workers and friends.
The film revolves around strong themes of materialism, narcissism and mental illness, showing them in a well paced and stylish way, creating very dark humour throughout. It also perfectly depicts a culture where greed and success are everything, showing the implications of such pressures through Patrick Bateman's mental state.
The film is driven by the ego of the main character and ultimately its his downfall as a result of this ego, that brings his sanity into question. This change in character, from focused to helpless, makes American Psycho so impressive. Bale is fantastic, giving a chilling and powerful performance that sticks in the memory.
What I loved about this film was the very clever and though-provoking ambiguous ending. It leaves things up to interpretation and as a result it forces you to consider what has happened in the film prior.
This review of American Psycho (2000) was written by Michael Lee T on 18 Oct 2016.
American Psycho has generally received very positive reviews.
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