FIRST TIME WATCHING: American Psycho
Added 2026-02-27 17:00:16 +0000 UTCComments
I remember having a watch party with my GF and some friends in my parent's house back in 2001 (we watched on VHS!) and they were not ready for it. Everyone thinks this is a horror film but it's a straight black comedy and a really funny one, too. The movie is more accessible than the book, though. I read it while in college and I had set it down multiple times. You remember that journal that Jean is looking at near the end of the film? Some of that was straight from the book. Itโs disturbing. I went down a Bret Easton Ellis rabbit hole in college and after. Read Glamorama and Lunar Park. Good lord, I thought American Psycho was rough but Glamorama, to this day, has a scene or 2 that give me nightmares.
Mike Hell
2026-03-01 00:02:48 +0000 UTCGlad Nat found the humour in this one, some people just can't laugh at this. Which is a shame because the misogny and the vile nature of these characters is so over the top, I don't see how anyone could not see the satire in this. And while this is Mary Harron's most well known film I hearitly recommend her other works, "The Notorious Bettie Page" and "I shot Andy Warhol".
Wesley
2026-02-28 18:44:24 +0000 UTCOne of the funniest gags throughout the movie is how he pretentiously over-analyzes the most basic, middlebrow music of the time. It fits right in with his mindless recitation of social causes in the group restaurant scene. It's all to demonstrate the surface level hollowness of his life. It is noteworthy that since this movie came out, many Wall Street brokers have modeled their personal aesthetic after Patrick Bateman.
David Sumner
2026-02-28 04:51:07 +0000 UTCPredator:Badlands Iโm beggin next poll please. Btw loved the reaction
Horei Paez
2026-02-28 04:18:40 +0000 UTCYou're probably too young to know this Nat, but you'd jump your damn car over a river to return video tapes on time, those late fees were MURDER. ๐
Keith Jacobsen
2026-02-28 03:21:58 +0000 UTCI was mostly with you in your analysis until you said the lawyer was "covering" for him. Do you have a source on that info, with Mary Harron saying she felt that way? I've never heard that before and personally don't think it makes any sense with the way the character was acting.
Mike Hell
2026-02-28 01:50:20 +0000 UTCIโm pretty sure the direction had Willem film multiple takes of his interrogation of Patrick: one where he doesnโt suspect anything, one where heโs a little suspicious, and one where he knows Patrick did it and used pieces from each take in the scene ๐ Edit: OH, just finished the reaction! nevermind ๐
Daniel McGuinness
2026-02-28 01:06:14 +0000 UTCThe business card scene is sooo iconic, the way Patrick looks like heโs going to throw up lmaoo And the fact they all say โVice Presidentโ ๐ญ
Daniel McGuinness
2026-02-28 00:50:05 +0000 UTC"I will admit there is one scene that Tyler showed me..." Everyone (including people who haven't seen the movie): "Oh yeah, that scene." Edit to add: Okay, I think I'm out after the alley scene. Unless he gets his comeuppance, but I can't imagine this is that kind of movie.
Troy
2026-02-28 00:21:50 +0000 UTCfirst, the images that his secretary saw in his planner at the end were in the theatrical cut, not sure why you would think it wouldnt since its a look into his mind being exposed by jean. i think the extended stuff, and idk if you had it cause my version went longer than yours, but when hes in his apartment with those two women. the sex scene is extended. and nothing wrong with finding the movie funny as i think that was the intent, some very dark humor. so, the ending is confusing but he did kill some people and paul allen, from at least probably all those bodies in the apartment and the hooker. as for the shootout at the end? that was probably in his head. at one point he looks at the explosion he caused with just a gun and is just like "...what the fuck?" what seems to have happened was the owner of the building found out about the bodies and tried to cover it up and just resell the space since if there was a serial killer using it as a place to store bodies, it would bring down the entire places value, and she didnt want that. i think she knew it was him since she was making up that ad in the times and asked him to leave and not come back. as for the lawyer, he was covering for bateman, creating an alibi and the director has stated she regrets not making that more clear in the end but if you go back and look at when patrick is talking about how he couldnt have had dinner with paul, the lawyer gives him a look of like "im giving you an alibi" because he doesnt want to go and represent a client who is most likely gonna get the axe, it would look bad on him to do so. and yes, the decision to have willem's performance spliced together was a brilliant choice. idk if tyler said exactly the takes but it was 3 different takes. one of him knowing bateman did it, he suspected he did it, and finally that he had no idea. this movies production i think is fascinating. the director read the book and really wanted to adapt it and christian bale read the script and wanted it so badly, despite his agent telling him it would be career suicide for its subject matter, but he wanted it so badly that he didnt care. he read the book, mary and him got along so well that they vowed that they wouldnt do the film without the other, and despite studio interference of trying to push one or the other out, they stood by each other. also, the author wrote the book because he was doing research on life on wall street or something for a book and when he met with some guys on wall street or in that line of work, they did absolutely no work the entire time and just went to clubs. its why bateman does absolutely no work and if you read their cards, all of them have the same position. i cant remember what it was but some title to make them seem important. on a 7 million dollar budget, it made 34 million at the box office so it was a success!
mitchhamilton64
2026-02-27 23:10:26 +0000 UTCThis movie sits right along side with Requiem for a Dream. A one time watch only, never to be watched again. I've seen it already, so I'm going back to the dugout to wait for the next watch along.
Cwbebop
2026-02-27 22:55:34 +0000 UTCWhat I heard Nat say during the intro credits of the film is that she's ready to watch Elem Klimov's 1985 Come and see...
Tarjei
2026-02-27 22:33:44 +0000 UTC"Is that a rain coat?" "Yes it is! In '87, Huey released this, Fore, their most accomplished album. I think their undisputed masterpiece is "Hip to be Square", a song so catchy, most people probably don't listen to the lyrics. But they should, because it's not just about the pleasures of conformity, and the importance of trends, it's also a personal statement about the band itself...hey, Paul! TRY GETTING A RESERVATION AT DORSIA NOW, YOU FUCKING STUPID BASTARD! YOU, FUCKING BASTARD!"
Steve Mercier
2026-02-27 21:46:10 +0000 UTC
