Rating: 4.5/5
“American Psycho,” a horror genre classic, turns 25 this year. It follows Patrick Bateman (Christian Bale), a psychopathic businessman who has a deep obsession with being the best.
This film is an excellent look into the mind of a psychopath and has rightfully earned its place at the top of the horror movie classics. It says a lot about society and how we are willing to look away when things become too hard to bear. Instead of trying to help someone and understand them, people, like Bateman’s friends and coworkers, are far too quick to look away.
While this film is a horror movie, with a tremendous plot twist, it is still worth watching even if you’re not a horror fan. The movie has some lighthearted comedy, and the gore – at least until the very end – is kept off-screen. For anyone looking for a good introduction to the horror genre, this film is a must-watch.
In this film, the audience dives into Bateman’s psyche and is forced to experience the world through his psychotic rationale. As Bateman descends further into insanity, the audience is left questioning if what they see is true, forcing Bateman’s insanity onto them.
Bateman tries hard to fit in and come across as normal, and even takes the audience through his daily routine as a way to prove his normalcy. He does his best to hide his bloodlust from the audience and the people around him, which makes his crimes seem all the more unhinged. The audience is led to believe that Bateman is a likeable character, making it easier for them to trust Bateman’s justification of his actions.
This leads to them descending into Bateman’s madness alongside him because they see the world through his point of view. The movie’s ending only makes the audience feel more complicit in Bateman’s actions, which adds to the suspense. As Bateman loses control of reality and the rest of the world turns a blind eye to the murders he commits, all the audience can do is sit and watch helplessly.
Part of what makes this movie so interesting to watch is that it juxtaposes humanity with psychopathy. The audience knows that Bateman feels no human emotion, and yet, he knows exactly how to perform. When he murders a close friend, Bateman acts sad in front of the detective to weasel his way out of suspicion. He also has a deep desire to murder and struggles to control it throughout the movie. The most chilling part is that Bateman can return to everyday life after committing a murder.
The ending of the movie is phenomenal. There is a dramatic shift in tone after Bateman tries to kill an escort he brings home. The escort’s attempted escape triggers Bateman to confess to the murders to his lawyer because he fears he has finally been caught. For once, Bateman shows genuine remorse, albeit over the fact he can’t stop murdering. However, his lawyer denies the fact that someone who seems so perfect could be capable of such horror.
The resolution of the movie leaves the audience struggling to comprehend what they have just watched and is made all the more impactful through Bale’s incredible acting. He plays Bateman perfectly, going from menacing to nonchalant in a heartbeat.
Overall, this movie is entertaining and leaves the audience wondering about the impact empathy and human emotion has on themselves and the world around them.