Overview
A chilling exploration of vanity and violence in a world where appearances are everything.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Graphic
- sardonic
- provocative
- disturbing
- late night viewing
- dark comedy marathon
What critics said
Critics broadly regard the film as a stylish, sharply acted black satire whose provocative violence and social commentary are balanced by Christian Bale’s committed performance, though its adaptation and ambiguity divide opinion.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Patrick Bateman and his peers obsess over business cards, reservations, clothing, fitness, and exclusive access as expressions of superiority.
Bateman performs the role of an immaculate Wall Street professional while describing and enacting an inhuman private self.
The film’s increasingly uncertain treatment of Bateman’s crimes makes his perceptions and testimony impossible to accept at face value.
The closed Wall Street social network links competitive presentation, misogyny, careerism, and predatory violence.
Films like American Psycho, and why
Maniac
shares black comedy, serial killer subject matter, social satire, and an unreliable sense of reality
The King of Comedy
shares satirical examination of consumer culture, psychological disintegration, and disturbing crime
Nightcrawler
shares wealthy urban alienation, violent psychopathy, and morally corrosive masculinity
Fight Club
shares darkly comic corporate cruelty, identity instability, and stylized psychological violence
Movie Details
- Director
- Mary Harron
- Release Date
- 2000-04-13
- Runtime
- 102 min
- Rating
- 7.4 / 10 (12778)
Cast
- Christian Bale
- Justin Theroux
- Josh Lucas
- Bill Sage
- Chloë Sevigny
- Reese Witherspoon
- Samantha Mathis
- Matt Ross
- Jared Leto
- Willem Dafoe
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, Lionsgate+ Amazon Channel, Amazon Prime Video with Ads
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is American Psycho about?
- A perfectly groomed Wall Street narcissist descends into murderous fantasy as his polished identity begins to fracture.
- What is American Psycho like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of American Psycho as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is American Psycho violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in American Psycho as graphic.
- What did critics think of American Psycho?
- Critics broadly regard the film as a stylish, sharply acted black satire whose provocative violence and social commentary are balanced by Christian Bale’s committed performance, though its adaptation and ambiguity divide opinion.
- Which films are like American Psycho?
- Films with a similar feel include Maniac, The King of Comedy, Nightcrawler, and Fight Club.
- How long is American Psycho?
- American Psycho runs 102 minutes.
- Where can I watch American Psycho?
- In United States, American Psycho streams on Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, Lionsgate+ Amazon Channel, Amazon Prime Video with Ads.
