He really was killing people. Everyone in the movie is incredibly self-interested which is why they don't notice or don't care about what Bateman is doing. Some people say that the realtor covered it up in order to sell the expensive condo but she also might have been paid off. The lawyer didn't have lunch with Paul Allen, he probably confused him with someone else. All through the film, the business men have been virtually interchangeable- even they can't tell each other apart. I think there's definitely an interpretation of it as all being a fantasy, even though the filmmakers explicitly didn't intend that. The whole movie is a trip. The hyperfixation on trivial things like impressive business cards, nice apartments, and hard-to-get dinner reservations is exaggerated but also very real. I don't work directly in that world but I live in a city with a lot of intense professional types. Everything is about what your job title is, who you know, and what you know (politics, geography, current events, insider happenings). I was completely stressed about keeping up when I first moved here. One time, someone started talking about Ouagadougou and I felt this absurd manic relief that I knew it was the capital of Burkina Faso and didn't have to ask about it and look like I knew less. So ridiculous. I'd go to networking events and it just felt so performative, everyone talking at each other and slyly name dropping and implying influence. I know this is a completely unoriginal observation on my part. The misogyny, superficiality, and egotism is on naked display and completely pointless. American Psycho is an exaggeration and about a serial killer but the actual commentary on high-powered society rings true.
Hey, thanks for such a great comment! You raise some great points!! Thanks for sharing your experience in a similar world! It sucks because no one should have to feel stressed about things like that!
Enjoyed your reaction. The movie is satire. Bateman just represents the untouchable elites. The ruling class of psychopathic figures of nebulous importance. So, everything really did happen but in the makings of a metaphor. Hope it has grown on you.
Hey, pre-sloth Ryan! Now, this was a surprise! _American Psycho_ is one of those films which really … hm, stays with you long afterwards you watch it. Especially given Bale’s crazy performance in it. If you don’t mind me asking, what prompted you to watch/react to it? I have never read the original novel, but I think I have read other works from the author (Bret E. Ellis) where Patrick Bateman appears as a minor or a side character - I think either he or his brother appears in _Rules of Attraction_ but my memory is murky, I’ve read that almost two decades ago! Like I said in that previous post, the film/novel is mainly a surreal thriller or *very* dark satire of the 80s attitudes and outlook on wealth, class, society in general, you name it. Criticism of the then prevalent yuppie culture mainly, so it’s a time capsule as well. And like you pointed out, most viewers guess later that Pat is a highly unstable narrator and then the entire film takes a more, hm, mind-screw tone ( mind you, this genre was somewhat popular at the turn of the millennium, like _Dark City_ or _Cube_ , _Matrix_ being the best known probably ) - I believe it is more explicit in the novel, however. Anyway, to invert the usual, what was _the_ most shocking moment in the film to you?
Hey, I was looking for at iconic performance movies from big actors that I hadn't seen and this one has been on my list for YEARS! That's so interesting about him being a side character in other stories! I loved the unreliable narrator twist in this! But it did break my brain after watching haha! The most shocking moment for me was probably the chainsaw scene! That was when I really started to question what was real but Christian Bale was acting his ASS OFF and it was so enjoyable!
Monody ever seems to recognize he’s being allied like 5 different names.
Bale's best role, he is fantastic in this...i'd write more but i have to return some video tapes.
😂😂😂
i recommend you +🔥
★ *The Devil's Advocate* (1997) _Keanu Reeves & Al Pacino_
★ *The Game* (1997) _Michael Douglas_
★ *Fight Club* (1999) _Edward Norton & Brad Pitt_
★ *Black Swan* (2010) _Natalie Portman_
★ *Joker* (2019) _Joaquin Phoenix_
BONUS TRACK
🔥 *A Clockwork Orange* (1971) _Malcolm McDowell_
🔥 *American History X* (1998) _Edward Norton_
,
Hey, thanks for the recommendations!! I'll add them to the list to check out!! 😁
He really was killing people. Everyone in the movie is incredibly self-interested which is why they don't notice or don't care about what Bateman is doing. Some people say that the realtor covered it up in order to sell the expensive condo but she also might have been paid off. The lawyer didn't have lunch with Paul Allen, he probably confused him with someone else. All through the film, the business men have been virtually interchangeable- even they can't tell each other apart.
I think there's definitely an interpretation of it as all being a fantasy, even though the filmmakers explicitly didn't intend that.
The whole movie is a trip. The hyperfixation on trivial things like impressive business cards, nice apartments, and hard-to-get dinner reservations is exaggerated but also very real. I don't work directly in that world but I live in a city with a lot of intense professional types. Everything is about what your job title is, who you know, and what you know (politics, geography, current events, insider happenings). I was completely stressed about keeping up when I first moved here. One time, someone started talking about Ouagadougou and I felt this absurd manic relief that I knew it was the capital of Burkina Faso and didn't have to ask about it and look like I knew less. So ridiculous. I'd go to networking events and it just felt so performative, everyone talking at each other and slyly name dropping and implying influence. I know this is a completely unoriginal observation on my part.
The misogyny, superficiality, and egotism is on naked display and completely pointless. American Psycho is an exaggeration and about a serial killer but the actual commentary on high-powered society rings true.
Hey, thanks for such a great comment! You raise some great points!! Thanks for sharing your experience in a similar world! It sucks because no one should have to feel stressed about things like that!
Enjoyed your reaction. The movie is satire. Bateman just represents the untouchable elites. The ruling class of psychopathic figures of nebulous importance.
So, everything really did happen but in the makings of a metaphor.
Hope it has grown on you.
Hey, pre-sloth Ryan! Now, this was a surprise! _American Psycho_ is one of those films which really … hm, stays with you long afterwards you watch it. Especially given Bale’s crazy performance in it. If you don’t mind me asking, what prompted you to watch/react to it?
I have never read the original novel, but I think I have read other works from the author (Bret E. Ellis) where Patrick Bateman appears as a minor or a side character - I think either he or his brother appears in _Rules of Attraction_ but my memory is murky, I’ve read that almost two decades ago!
Like I said in that previous post, the film/novel is mainly a surreal thriller or *very* dark satire of the 80s attitudes and outlook on wealth, class, society in general, you name it. Criticism of the then prevalent yuppie culture mainly, so it’s a time capsule as well.
And like you pointed out, most viewers guess later that Pat is a highly unstable narrator and then the entire film takes a more, hm, mind-screw tone ( mind you, this genre was somewhat popular at the turn of the millennium, like _Dark City_ or _Cube_ , _Matrix_ being the best known probably ) - I believe it is more explicit in the novel, however.
Anyway, to invert the usual, what was _the_ most shocking moment in the film to you?
Hey, I was looking for at iconic performance movies from big actors that I hadn't seen and this one has been on my list for YEARS! That's so interesting about him being a side character in other stories! I loved the unreliable narrator twist in this! But it did break my brain after watching haha! The most shocking moment for me was probably the chainsaw scene! That was when I really started to question what was real but Christian Bale was acting his ASS OFF and it was so enjoyable!