American Psycho
American Psycho is a 2000 black comedy horror film directed by Mary Harron, who co-wrote the screenplay with Guinevere Turner. Based on the 1991 novel by Bret Easton Ellis, it stars Christian Bale as Patrick Bateman, a New York City investment banker who leads a double life as a serial killer. Willem Dafoe, Jared Leto, Josh Lucas, Chloë Sevigny, Samantha Mathis, Cara Seymour, Justin Theroux, and Reese Witherspoon appear in supporting roles. The film blends psychological horror and black comedy to satirize 1980s yuppie culture and consumerism, exemplified by Bateman.
Plot
In 1987, New York City investment banker Patrick Bateman leads a double life, meticulously maintaining a polished social façade while harboring dark impulses. By day, he dines at trendy restaurants, obsesses over his physical appearance, and navigates a shallow circle of wealthy associates he secretly despises, all while engaged to Evelyn Williams. His superficial world is epitomized during a business meeting where he and his colleagues flaunt their business cards, fixating on their designs while missing the misspelled "Aquisitions" on each. Enraged by the superiority of colleague Paul Allen's card, Bateman’s suppressed rage erupts when he encounters a homeless man and his dog in an alley. Initially offering help, he instead insults and brutally kills them, revealing his violent tendencies.