Movies Thoughts on American Psycho?

[Jimbo_McDumbo]

Just rewatched American Psycho at a Fangoria event. This rewatch definitely affirmed and reaffirmed my belief that Patrick Bateman isn't a serial killer. He's a sociopathic narcissist with some kind of bpd and a sadistic streak, but he doesn't have the guts to take a life.

The way I see it is like this.

Spoiler: long winded theory

Patrick Bateman coasted through life on his daddies money and prestige. And people liked him for it. Patrick was in charge, a prince among men. It got him good food, friends, nice clothes, a swanky New York apartment, and women. But there's an emptiness there, a gaping hole that couldn't be filled by normal means.

I imagine he had an underlying mental issue, something that's medicated but not talked about. Except in hushed conversations between family members. Something that left him hollow and vicious. Definitely with some serious issues about women. I think he tried filling that emptiness with the usual yuppie trappings. Coke, booze, women, expensive food and drink.

But Patrick needed more. I think he turned to porn, horror films, snuff films, and sexual sadism. Women were already toys, objects to him. So he'd watch porn until he was numb to it. Then horror flicks for a new thrill, blonde scream queens getting their guts ripped out on VHS. Then the snuff films, I imagine that if you can find coke dealers you can find guys who own or produce some shocking video tapes. Then to apply all he learned to them. The dolls and status symbols to be used anyway he saw fit. Patrick knew it would be more fun for him to break the toys in his playpen, to twist the joints, singe the plastic, to scape and gouge. After all he could always buy more toys.

And that was his reality. Until he thought he was being usurped, by Paul Allen. Someone who took away his spotlight. So he had a mental break. I don't think Patrick Bateman killed Paul Allen, far from it. I don't think Paul Allen even knew he existed. Which formed cascading cracks in Patrick Bateman's carefully manicured reality started to crumble.

He saw that he was worthless. A spec, occupied space that no one cared about. And that caused him to lose touch with reality. To do more coke and take fewer meds. To cut himself off. To play rougher. To see his fantasies during the waking hours of the day. Leading him to ruin his social standing in a number of ways.

One, connecting himself with the scandal of Paul Allen likely having an affair or eloping to the UK. Two, breaking off the engagement with his fiancé. Three, being associated with a gay man in an 80's Wall Street firm. Four, his secretary finding his murder binder after starting an affair with him. And lastly making a scene with a well liked and highly connected lawyer claiming to be a cannibalistic axe murderer.

But I could be wrong. What do you guys think? But get back to me later, I need to return some video tapes first

 

[toirdhealbhachM]

The novel is much more gruesome and detailed. For the movie there were a lot of things they simply could not show, which made it seem like it might all be a dream since they had to dance around without depicting his actions in a clear way.

 

[CraigJinx]

Overrated and over analysed.

 

[BigTony]

Its an interesting and well made film but it's also kinda dumb and lazy. in the movie hes very flat the film spends too much time showing him do bad things and saying "look how bad he is" instead of actually exploring the character.

 

[KamakoKamako's icon]

I think he is a psychopath when it comes to women. His interactions with Luis Carruthers also suggests he may be repressing a homosexual element of his personality. But moreso than asking whether he did or did not actually commit murder, I think the film highlights how the world in which he inhabits actively rewards psychopathic behaviour.

 

[Elwiwi]

All the seriousness the movie maybe have was stripped by the internet , and I think is better that way