Director
Mary Harron
Leading Actors/Actresses
Christian Bale
Supporting Actors/Actresses
Reese Witherspoon, Chloë Sevigny, Justin Theroux, and Josh Lucas
Genre
Satirical Thriller
Language
English
Awards
American Psycho was nominated for no major awards.
Date of Release
April 14, 2000
Producer
Edward R. Pressman, Chris Hanley, and Christian Halsey Solomon
Setting and Context
New York, the 1980s
Narrator and Point of View
The film was told from the point of view of narrator Patrick Bateman.
Tone and Mood
Maniacal, Violent, Disturbing, Unkind, Retaliatory, Sad, Sexual, Unstable, Ecstatic, and Energetic
Protagonist and Antagonist
American Psycho is a strange film in the sense that it is without a true protagonist. One could consider Patrick Bateman the protagonist of the film. However, he is portrayed as a villain. There are truly no protagonists or antagonists in the film.
Major Conflict
The major conflict of the film is an internal one: Patrick must control himself and his violent inclinations while simultaneously trying to appear normal.
Climax
The climax of the film occurs when Patrick throws the chainsaw down the stairs, killing Christie.
Foreshadowing
Patrick's viscious murders are foreshadowed in some of the early and middle scenes of the film.
Understatement
The number of murders Patrick has committed is understated throughout most of the film.
Innovations in Filming or Lighting or Camera Techniques
While incredibly well-made and well-shot, Mary Harron's American Psycho is not innovative in filming or lighting or camera techniques.
Allusions
The film is rife with allusions from American culture and popular culture in particular. It alludes to the values Americans hold, the ways they speak, the entertainment they hold dear, the food and drink they consume, the institutions they hold dear, etc.
The film also alludes to popular culture, most particularly works like Les Miserables, Oliver Twist, The Prince and the Pauper, and the House of Mirth.
Paradox
At the very start of the film, Patrick seems nearly normal. However, he is not: he is a sick, twisted, violent, and demented person who is exceedingly not normal.
Parallelism
A parallel can be drawn between Patrick's outward performance and the life he leads: shallow, insubstantial, flashy, and mostly vacuous.
