Quartile rating: 9/10 · 3 ratings
A wealthy New York investment banking executive hides his alternate psychopathic ego from his co-workers and friends as he escalates deeper into his illogical, gratuitous fantasies.
American Psycho is a razor-sharp satirical thriller elevated by Christian Bale's iconic, career-defining performance as Patrick Bateman. The plot masterfully blends dark comedy with psychological horror, using the veneer of 80s yuppie culture to dissect capitalism, masculinity, and identity — distinctly literary in its source and singularly executed on screen. The cinematography is competent and stylish but not extraordinary. The ending deliberately frustrates resolution with deliberate ambiguity, which is thematically appropriate but divisive — landing it just below exceptional. Novelty is high: the film's tone, satirical layering, and Bale's performance make it wholly unmistakable.