It's another Classic Film Night review but this time it's once again getting into the Halloween season.
American Psycho is a horror comedy based on Bret Easton Ellis' 1991 novel of the same name. Production was Edward R. Pressman Productions and Muse Productions with Lions Gate Films being the distributor. Mary Harron not only directed by also wrote the screenplay with Guinevere Turner.
The story is, it's 1987 and a New York City investment banker Patrick Bateman has a very polished appearance. He dines at trendy restaurants, has a beautiful apartment, stays in shape, and his friends are as wealthy as he is. But this is all just a façade to hide his deep violent impulses. At first Patrick is able to maintain this demeanor, but soon status envy slowly eats away at him and he starts killing people whether they're homeless, co-workers, or romantic partners.
My Thoughts
One thing that's masterfully done is Mary Harron's directing. Her style is cool, controlled, and sleek. So gives the film an almost glossy look while still showing more darker elements as well. It's kinda like Patrick Bateman. Stylish on the outside, but dark on the inside.
Speaking of Patrick Bateman or in this case the actor who plays him, Christian Bale. Bale's performance is incredible. It's no wonder other than Batman, this is one of his more iconic roles. Bale was fully committed to this role. He absolutely nails being charming one moment, then insane the next. It was entertaining seeing him speak in analytical manner about Huey Lewis and the News' song "Hip to be Square" and then go fully insane and kill someone with an axe. Bale's acting alone is a great reason to watch this movie.
Then there's the dark comedy. There's plenty of truly funny moments. One of my favorites is when Patrick tries to kill a guy in the bathroom, but instead of the guy thinking it's attempted murder he thinks it's Patrick being kinky towards him. That part was absolutely hilarious. Ah the good old days of gay jokes without the filmmakers worrying if somebody is gonna be offended afterwards. Good times. 😆
The last thing I'll praise is the story. Not only does it have a pretty good satire yuppie culture, but it also has a great story of a guy who's losing his mind. But what's so brilliant about the story is because Patrick is such an unreliable narrator, the story cleverly makes you second guess of what events are reliable. Because of people to this day still debate and theorize about Patrick and the story.
You definitely need to give American Psycho a watch. It's horror elements aren't so much about violence even though that's present, but more about how unstable Patrick is. Regardless, it's still a brilliantly made film.
My final rating is, A Must Watch!
I'm all done here. Come back on Saturday, Oct 24th, for my review of the newest DC Universe movie, Clayface. Until then, enjoy the rest of your day.
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