American Psycho (2000) Movie Reaction & Commentary | FIRST TIME WATCHING 

Hello everyone! In case you don’t see the community post, we’re doing a 5k Q&A and would love for you to leave some questions below (can be about anything)! THANK YOU so much to everyone who has been here for the past few months and helped us get this channel off the ground. This journey has been an unexpected but pleasant surprise! A note on this movie: I (Sarah) have since changed my position on the ending and think Patrick did indeed kill some people lol. Exactly who I’m not 100% sure-definitely Al, the blonde model, and probably people off screen. Paul Allen is still a bit of a mystery! Anyway, we’re excited to hear your thoughts! - Eric & Sarah

The director had Dafoe act scenes 3 different ways, one where he basically knows Patrick killed Paul, one where he only suspects him, and one where the interviews are just a formality and Patrick isn't a suspect. The 3 different versions were then all edited together to make Dafoe completely inscrutable from Patrick's perspective.

For me, the movie (and novel) is conveying three main ideas: (1) everyone is interchangeable in the ultra-materialist/conformist subculture the film takes place in (2) the physical violence Bateman is committing is indistinguishable from the economic violence he commits on Wall Street - made most explicit by the woman mishearing "murders and executions" as "mergers and acquisitions" (3) Bateman's social and economic status guarantees that he will not be held accountable for his actions. So, because everyone is interchangeable, if someone like Paul Allen is murdered, no one notices because people mistake other people for Paul, or mistake other people for Bateman, giving him a false alibi. The reason why Paul's apartment is clean near the end is because it's in everyone's financial interest to paint everything over and resell it. The real estate woman senses that Bateman is responsible for the horrors they found there, but she has no interest in getting him arrested because it would hurt the value of the apartment to create a scandal. Some things in the movie are surely hallucinations (the ATM asking to be fed a cat, the exploding cop cars etc). But I think most of his crimes are meant to be real. His confession means nothing, as he says at the end, because his acts of extreme violence aren't even noticeable in an economic/social system that runs on violence and exploitation to begin with. The ambiguity of this one is fun, though!

The key to understanding the ending is Patrick's final thought, 'This confession has meant nothing.' There's no point in his confessing if everyone is guilty, if everyone is as psychotic as him. Throughout the movie, we see people cover him for no other reason than it benefits them. He left a bloody trail in his apartment's lobby to be cleaned up by the staff. His friends say he was having dinner with when Paul disappeared, likely too superficial to have remembered. The woman showing Paul's apartment knows Patrick isn't there to view the apartment. She knows what he did there because she cleaned it up, as you can't sell an apartment for full price when dozens of murders took place there. His lawyer is lying about having dinner with Paul in London because it makes him look important. Even as he realizes Patrick is insane, he continues to keep the lie up for the sake of his image. And that's when Patrick realizes his confession means nothing. At the beginning of the film, he admits he's just a façade of a human being, that there's no real depth. By the end of the film he's realized he lives in a world surrounded by people so superficial they'll abet murder. Everyone would rather look good and profit than stop him. Everyone is a psycho, Patrick's just more honest about it.

I think Patrick "spared" Jean because she's the only one who saw him as an actual person. Everyone else in his life was empty, vapid, and shallow. Of course that's still no reason for them to get murdered Lol but yeah, that's my theory.

It was all real. He moved to Gotham City later and became Batman. But seriously this is a good movie!

Paul Allen's apartment was cleaned up to be resold at high-value🤑 Patrick was saying those awful things out loud but two things happen: sometimes the people he was saying it to couldn't hear him correctly because of the loud music in the club or they just flat-out didn't care enough to actually listen to what Patrick was actually saying, like Paul Allen was🤷‍♂️

Point of note: those sounds are not part of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre soundtrack. The movie is playing with the sound off meaning that the screaming heard while he is exercising is either in Bateman's head or his apartment.

Black homeless man- Gets brutally stabbed to death in a cold dark alley by a man that just feels disgusted by his existence Reaction- Not the dog!

I once saw a video on here that had an interesting theory: the society that Patrick lives in uses a group identity as opposed to an individual identity. They’re always mistaking each other for someone else because they’re all interchangeable. But, it’s very important to protect the members of the group. If it came out that one member had become a serial killer, the group as a whole would be jeopardized, and that can’t happen. So they sanitize his crimes. The woman cleans up the apartment and sells it to make it all as if nothing happened.

The short version of what it all means, is this: He feels trapped in the vacuous wall street yuppie culture of the 80s where everyone is self absorbed and about appearances but behaves/looks exactly the same. He desperately wants out but sees no exit, so starts to go insane. It's supposed to be vague whether he imagined all of it or only imagined most of it and actually killed a couple of people. The main point is a parody of that culture, hence the completely ridiculous descriptions of cuisine, music, clothes, etc. Charcoal Arugula? Mud Soup anyone?

Impressive ,lets see Paul Allen's Reaction

I love the end of the dry cleaner scene when Patrick is on his way out the door talking to Courtney all smiling and happy only for his smile to immediately disappear the second he's out the door, showing his true, blank face for one of the few times you can see it.

What I take away from this film is that the corporate culture he lived in was so cold and inhuman that it didn't even offer consequences for being a psychotic killer. He seamlessly blended in with them.

The business card scene is perfection. Also, Dorsia is an unspoken character in this film. Lol @ 18:22. Watch Bale turn away from Lewis. He's almost busting laughing.

I love details like how Patrick was most confident during the 1st interview with the detective despite just killing Paul Allen, and during the next interview he was more nervous and antsy just because he didn’t kill Luis in the bathroom right before. Then during the 3rd interview he’s even more nervous and sweaty, not because he’s scared of getting caught, but because he didn’t kill Jean at his apartment. In fact he doesn’t seem to care about being caught because of doing things like dragging the bloody body and running down the apartment complex with a chainsaw. Also the refusal to kill Luis and Jean leads to a full on psychosis in the middle of public. There’s alot of talks about his “mask of sanity slipping” and nighttime activities spilling into his daytime

The card scene wasn't a satire, it was meant to show how Bateman's mind worked. He was getting immensely pissed off over one small thing.

I just read the book, and there's a part in it involving a rat and a human orifice, which I'm glad they decided to leave out of the movie! 😅 Great reaction as always!

Paul Allen mistook Patrick for Marcus Halberstram, just as Harold mistook Bateman for Davis. Harold mistook someone else for Allen. One of the guys didn't recognize Allen in the opening scene, so Bateman pointed them to Allen. Bateman even passes himself off as Allen. Even Evelyn is mistaken for Cynthia, and Bateman assigns Christie's and Sabrina's names. People are more or less interchangeable in this satire, but all the murders, with the possible exception of the night of the breakdown, actually happened. The real estate lady cleaned up the mess in Allen's apartment so it would retain its value now that she was showing it. She even figured out what he had done, and she didn't ask his name. She didn't want any trouble. They were all alike anyway.

This film is essentially commentary on the 80s yuppie culture and just narcissism in general. Notice how most of the guys look the same with the same haircuts, suits, glasses, etc... Their business cards look the same as well, credit cards, you name it. They've become indistinguishable from one another, hence why most of the times they confuse one another with someone else, like with Patrick and Marcus.

As any serial killer aficionado knows, the incorrectly attributed Ed Gein quote at 17:35 was actually a quote by much more prolific but lesser known serial killer, Edmund Kemper.

39:00 the blood is gone because in the book and at the end of the film with the body being removed from the closet the area is so preoccupied with the image and price of the building they cover it up so not to ruin that image of the property. It's all about image Also, the author of this book said it should of never been turned into a film. The story gets lost

The killings and the bodies in the apartment all happen🤔 Patrick Bateman's father has been cleaning up after his son, the movie doesn't mention that but it's clearly in the book. If you notice the realtor was scared of Patrick when she found him in Paul Allen's former apartment she was trying to resale. It also goes Great Lengths to show people mixing names up🤨

I don't know if it's been mentioned. But at the end when Chloe Sevigny's character "Jean", is going through Patrick's office, she is wearing the clothes he told her to never wear to the office again. My mother pointed that out to me when we saw it at the theater 20+ years ago. Yes, I took my mudder to see American Psycho.

Impressive, very nice, let's see Paul Allen's reaction.

"Don't just stare at it, eat it!" Among my circle of friends we still do that quote and laugh like idiots 🤣

I have to return some videotapes.

The film constantly shows you and tells you that everyone doesn't know each other's names, mistakes each other for different people. They all look the same, dress the same, have the same job, go to the same clubs and restaurants, and they rarely seem to even listen to one another. In that environment, it's very easy for them to accidentally give each other alibis by mistake, or make it seem like Paul Allen was in London after all.

My favorite Bale performance, hands down, is his child acting in Empire of the Sun. He was jaw-droppingly good when he was a kid.

Bale's over the top performance was criticised on set by other actors who thought he was the worst actor they could have gotten for the lead, not realizing the effect of his overly superficial performance in a film about people who are over superficial in their performances and posturing. Patrick Bateman is simply an amalgamation of that superficial, yuppie culture, but without the humanity, surrounded by people who are so indistinguishable from each other.

Well, that’s fun. Brand new subscriber here, and was just watching your back catalogue. And then, boom! One of my favorite books/films. :) Happy to be on board. Looking forward to all y’all do.

I have read every Steven King book he’s ever written. And I was fine reading them. But this one?! I finished it but I still don’t understand how I got through it. It stuck with me for a LONG time. Bret Easton Ellis did an amazing yet terrifying job writing this. It’s utter insanity.

With regard to explaining the ending, there’s 3 potential explanations: 1. The more obvious scenario is that It’s all in his head, and the fantasy gives him a sense of identity and power in the vapid yuppie subculture where everyone is interchangeable, which is why they get everyone’s name wrong. 2. It’s all real, and the rest of the yuppies are so self-centered that they simply don’t notice, or 3...that it’s all real, or at least some of it is, and his lawyer covers for him because the yuppies are just that greedy and devoid of morality that they’re willing to tolerate murder, it doesn’t phase them in the slightest. Any 3 are possible, totally open to interpretation, but in any case it’s definitely a commentary/satire on the Wall Street yuppie subculture of the 1980s, and the moral corruption that comes with greed

Entertaining reaction to an amazing movie! The director never meant for the ending to be open or any questions regarding whether he murdered those people or not, that was by accident. It's a great commentary on the 80's with people being so extremely self absorbed and also a nice touch with the hint that there are people that cleaned his mess in Paul's apartment. I will never forget watching this in the cinema 😅 Peace n Love ✌️❤️

One of the very few instances where I prefer the movie to the novel. Really brilliantly directed and acted.

Finally, Batman takes care of the Joker!

09:36 Man gets viciously stabbed... "the dog!". lol

One of my favorite scenes, “try getting a reservation at Dorsia’s now you stupid fucking bastard!”

I haven't seen this movie in a long time. And seeing it again I still laugh at Patrick's face when he's washing his hands after trying to kill Luis, he looked so terrified/disgusted.

The film is a satire about how people on Wall Street and in the financial industry commit crimes in broad daylight and are never held accountable. The purpose of the book and the movie is to suggest that a serial killer would blend in on Wall Street. I think it’s also making a jab at how what those people do isn’t real work conceptually, as we never actually see them do anything related to their jobs.

I was so excited to see this in my feed as this was, I think, my first experience with a concept that grew to be one of favorite things about some movies: the lack of clarity in difference between reality and unreality. There's moments like you said where he's talking to the bartenders reflection in the mirror or telling Paul Allen "I like to dissect girls. Did you know I'm utterly insane?". And then there's other moments that are more subtle about their likelihood of being fantasy like him scowling at the manicurist; is that his expression in reality or just how he is feeling at that moment? The scene at the dry cleaners: did that actually happen or was that him fantasizing about being caught with something he may or may not have done in the first place? And if the second night with the prostitute never took place, what about the first with the "dirty blonde"? Finding the line between what's real and what's not makes every re-watch quite entertaining.

I took this movie literally when I first saw it, but if you watch it as a social satire, it's brilliant. Herron's direction, the editing, Bale's acting and the writing coalesce to make this one of my personal faves of the 2000's. I swear that the character of Pat Bateman took a decent measure of Star Trek's DATA as inspiration for his character.

this is an alternate universe where Bruce Wayne's parents are not murdered, but he still endures all the trauma of the bats and Bruce changes his name to avoid being charged of nepotism BATMAN becomes BATEMAN and he kills "The Joker" (Paul Allen) played by Jared Leto like he did in Suicide Squad

only a few minutes in but this is the best reaction I’ve seen to this movie, subscribed!

Hey guys, thanks for the review, I have to go an return some videotapes now

Your faces at the “HEY PAUL” part 😂🤣

Enjoyed your reactions and insights ver much. Thanks:)))

For clarity, he is Bateman. Patrick Bateman is real. His lawyer just mistakes him for someone else. Which is great, I think. We were in stitches in the theatre. Read the novel

9:44 "the dog!?" lol so when he kills that homeless guy its ok but the dog no way 😅

growing up in the 80s and watching this movie The parallels are extraordinary it was a time of Make Believe greed narcissism it was a crazy weird time of Reagan and make believe.

When dafoe talks about the CD with Patrick, he moves the CD case just to make light go to Patrick's eyes, just to see that he doesn't have any reflex with light on his eyes. Sorry for bad English hehe

It’s an excellent movie in my opinion, great to analyze and explore. Every time i watch it i notice something else that adds to the greater plot and sub context.

Paul Allen didn't call him Bateman he even was saying Bateman is such a dork or something lol HR was calling him something else lol

I still don't even know and I'm sure I remember googling what really happened from the Director 😂 Such a trippy film, I was young when this was out in the cinema, I remember seeing the posters but I never saw it till a few years ago. Thanks for the video guys!

Patrick didn't commit any murders. It's all his own psychosis. If I go between the book and the film, that's how it drew out, I believe. The biggest indicator is his ability to detonate a police squad car with a few shots from a handgun. In the end Jean realizes he is tormented and insane on the inside and Patrick has more or less come to a rounding realization of his pain.

If you pause the scene where he stabs the homeless dude, hes not holding anything in his hand but he makes convincing stabs,cinema trickery.

Rules of Attraction is another great movie who’s main character ( James Vanderbeek) is Patrick Bateman younger brother.

11:05 THE LEGENDARY GIF

In the book, there is a long pause of time between the chainsaw scene, and when he goes back. Everything had been discovered and cleaned.

17:38 That wasn't Ed Gein, It was Edmund Kemper.

One of my favorite Dark Comedies!

1:00 thanks for putting the poll results up, i always like to know what the competition was like. sidenote: there are so many movies you both haven't seen, can you watch those first? 🙂

I always took it as people are so wrapped up in themselves that either nobody cares and life is so materialistic ... or nobody actually knows who anyone really is...

No way, Genesis were really good even before the album Duke. Masters of progressive rock. What Christian Bale's character says about Genesis is flat out wrong!

That'd be cool if they did a sequel to this now and got Christian bale to come back lol. I wonder what Patrick Bateman is up to now lol

Lol for 23 years people have been trying to figure out if Patrick really killed anybody. I’ve seen this movie sooo many times and always just took it at face value and had a blast! I always figured he got away with it because everybody in his life was so oblivious to everything. Always mistaking not only Patrick but others as someone else. It was a satire on selfish and greedy yuppies in the 80s

The ending was meant to leave u guessing …. Was it all real was it it his mind is he really Patrick Bateman ! Or was it all in his mind . The movie and book was a play on the 80’s excesses of being somebody who makes a ton of money and is not really happy and is bored and what if it all made someone snap and turned into a psychopath. It’s really a very Black Comedy it meant to be funny in the end . But yeah super happy to have come across your Channal always awesome to watch new faces watch classic and new movie that I love it almost like having new friends over watching it . Keep up the awesome work u 2

Uh oh. I can't miss this reaction!

"sees paint implying they cleaned the blood" "xD no crime was committed there obviously"

When he’s eating with the detective Patrick’s face looks like it’s gonna come off

Watch the directors commentary. She says it’s her mistake for not clarifying that he actually said and did those things. lol

He really did those murders. The thesis is that as utterly insane Patrick is, the capitalistic society around him is even more deranged. His co-workers don't even know who he is (or anyone else) and constantly confuse people for other people so that they don't even notice when one of them disappears. The real estate agent would rather just sweep everything under the rug to make a sale.

“SABRINA DONT JUST STARE AT IT EAT IT” can somebody make me a t-shirt??

After watching this movie I started telling everyone "Next Saturday?............Can't"

the lawyer calling him by another name is the same as Paul Allen mistaking him constantly for another guy. it's just a joke on how much of a conformist nothing who nobody can even tell apart from anyone else Bateman is

This film has a sequel starring Mila Kunis that I would not recommend and a spinoff called Rules of Attraction that I would. That one features Patrick's brother Sean (played by James Van Der Beek) and is not a horror film.

Christian Bale based Bateman off Tom Cruise appearing on Letterman.

This is one crazy movie!

I made my boyfriend watch this movie once, and right in the middle of the morning routine scene, he looked at me and said, "That's basically you in the morning. " I mean, he wasn't wrong.

The movie is about materialism and self absorbance

The cop was real but he was also intrigued by the lifestyle of these high-class businessmen.🤔

Their faces at 16:45 lol that scene is super awkward for me too.

I have to return some videotapes!

I suppose there is a middle mix between complex delusions and real crimes, which are practically ignored by the law and social circle of the Yuppie culture.

24:01 "could be drugged...." 🤣🤣 it's the way it's said

I think that the first part of the movie actually occurred but the second half was all a fantasy especially with the cat and the police. He’s father helped Bateman get away with Allen’s murder because an issue regarding the fisher account.

The memes killed all seriousness of a movie. Now it's just a funny dark comedy

This is a self-proclaimed dark comedy,people mostly think this is a horror/slasher movie

Okay so….this entire movie is a social commentary and a satire on materialism. The whole thing where like no one really knows who’s who and they keep getting everyone’s names wrong is a comment on how the only thing that really matters in their world is looks and money and status. The part where he’s dragging out Paul’s body and the other guy is asking where’d he get that overnight bag is a comment on how they’re all so blinded by materialism that they don’t realize what’s really going on. The author says that it’s meant to be that Patrick really did everything.

Impressive, very nice. Let's see Paul Allen's analysis....

I'm a simple man, i see Christian Bale, i watch

Can you guys watch "Come And See"? It is a very different war movie. Steven Spielberg had the entire cast of Schindlers List watch it before they started filming

He actually ends up marrying Jean (his secretary) in the book! :)

what about Paul Allen's review?

You're waiting for it to get crazy? The REALITY throughout is crazy, - and that's why it's a brilliant movie. No one other than Bale could have pulled this off. It might be set in the 80's, but the socio political BS has only gotten deeper since.

4:45 sarah was not offered the position at cinemasins

Everyone got everyone mixed up in this movie. Paul thought Patrick was Marcus Haberstram, and at the beginning, everyone kept mistaking who Paul Allen was. This is also why Patrick's lawyer mistook him for Davis. That same lawyer also had dinner with someone else in London who he thought was Paul Allen. I think that Patrick actually did kill at least some of the people we saw him kill, but he blends in so well with all the other yuppies that no one can tell him apart.

The title is literal.

Can you guys react to a clockwork orange?

This movie is literally about me