Review of American Psycho (2000) by Chris B — 10 Feb 2014

American Psycho is a character study of a man who's fantasies become a reality as he has a psychotic break and goes on a killing spree. Patrick Bateman (Christian Bale) is a Wallstreet yuppie and as such has a rich and extravagant lifestyle as well as meticulous rituals all of which are explained in explicit detail.

His days usually revolve around lunch meetings at high-end restaurants with clients and co-workers, all of which try to one-up each other with their business cards and designer suits. He often grows tired of people, especially women and those who treat him with indifference, and fantasies about killing them in various twisted and brutal ways.

One night he finds a homeless man down a darkened alley and after berating the man he stabs him to death and gets a taste of murder, he's hooked from then on. He spends the coming days luring various women and even a arrogant and more successful co-worker to his home where he methodically kills them, usually after playing various albums of which he explains in vivid detail to his victims.

It's this type of dark humor that is found in the proceedings that help lend a somewhat less than pitch black mood to the film. Eventually a detective, played by Williem Dafoe, is hired to find out about the missing co-worker and begins questioning Bateman and putting pressure on him.

Bateman is in too deep now and goes on a killing spree in which his life begins to crumble apart as the police bear down on him. This is certainly not a film for most viewers, especially those sensitive to sexual material and graphic violence.

Christian Bale delivers here as the psychotic Bateman and it's his terrifying and hypnotic performance that lend such a horrific view through the eyes of a serial killer.