American Psycho

American Psycho is a 2000 satirical psychological 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 horror and black comedy to satirize 1980s yuppie culture and consumerism, exemplified by Bateman and supporting cast. Ellis considered his controversial novel unfilmable due to its graphic nature, but producer Edward R. Pressman was determined to adapt it and bought the film rights in 1992. Stuart Gordon, David Cronenberg, and Rob Weiss considered directing the film before Harron and Turner began writing the screenplay in 1996. They sought to make a period film grounded in the 1980s, sharing the setting with the novel. The pre-production period was tumultuous; Harron cast Bale to play Bateman, but because distributor Lionsgate Films secured a contract with Leonardo DiCaprio in the role, Harron was dismissed and replaced with Oliver Stone. Stone made a number of important decisions that remained with the final film, most notably casting Chloë Sevigny. His partnership with DiCaprio was dissolved following creative differences, leading Lionsgate to rehire Harron under the condition she could cast Bale as the lead. Principal photography began in February 1999 in Toronto and New York City. American Psycho premiered at the Sundance Film Festival on January 21, 2000, and was theatrically released in the United States on April 14. The film received positive reviews, with praise for Bale's performance and the screenplay. Grossing over $34 million on a $7 million budget, the film was considered a box-office success. Following the DVD release in 2005, American Psycho quickly developed a large cult following. The film experienced a revival of popular interest in the 2020s due to its strong presence in contemporary meme culture, typically centered around Bateman's perceived "sigma" personality. A direct-to-video sequel, American Psycho 2, was released in 2002, although it was criticized by Ellis who maintains it is not a part of the American Psycho narrative. Plot