A Reel 20: AMERICAN PSYCHO

“Do you like Huey Lewis and The News?”

This month marks the 20^th anniversary of Mary Harron’s AMERICAN PSYCHO. 

Based on the novel of the same name by Bret Easton Ellis, which follows a young and wealthy investment banker living a second life as a serial killer, AMERICAN PSYCHO started to make the jump from the page to the screen as far back as 1992, when the rights to the book were purchased with Johnny Depp attached to the lead role. Director David Cronenberg, whose screen credits at the time included THE FLY (1986), and DEAD RINGERS (1988), was originally attached to direct. After years of development, Cronenberg would eventually leave the project and be replaced by Mary Harron, whose lone directing credit included I SHOT ANDY WARHOL in 1996. 

From there, a little war broke out over the lead role of Patrick Bateman, the wealthy investor. Overseeing studio Lionsgate was intent on Leonardo DiCaprio, who was riding a wave of popularity with TITANIC (1997). Harron however believed DiCaprio to be too boy-ish for the role, and had her sights set on then 26-year-old Christian Bale, who came onto the scene as a child actor in Steven Spielberg’s EMPIRE OF THE SUN in 1987. Lionsgate would temporarily replace Harron and Bale with Oliver Stone as director and DiCaprio in the lead role, but DiCaprio would depart to do THE BEACH (2000), and Harron and Bale would return. The rest of the cast would be rounded out by Willem Dafoe, Jared Leto, Josh Lucas, Samantha Mathis, Chloe Sevigny, and Reese Witherspoon. 

After production, marketing included e-mails “from” Patrick Bateman, supposedly to his therapist. The e-mails followed Bateman’s life prior to the events of the film, becoming one of the earliest examples of viral marketing. Lionsgate also put up an online stock market game, which had players investing in films, actors, and musicians using fake Hollywood money. 

AMERICAN PSYCHO debuted at the Sundance Film Festival in 2000, which divided audiences. The film was praised for its writing and performances, especially Bale, but was criticized for its violence. The film was a financial hit and over the years has earned a cult following. Today, the film finds itself on many Halloween horror-movie rotations and marathons, and the horror website Bloody Disgusting ranks it 19^th on its list of Top 20 Horror Films of the Decade. 

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AMERICAN PSYCHO has endured the test of time better than most horror films of the last 20 years, thanks to Bale’s performance and a layered script which makes it more than just a gore-fest. The narcissistic character of Bateman, who is more concerned with his social standing than anything else, is a statement of social class and those who deem it so important. It’s also a deep dive into a man’s psyche, and Bale’s committed performance makes for an un-nerving yet fascinating ride. It’s a satire and a horror flick rolled up into one and would pave the way for Bale’s reputation as a serious actor long before he would don a cape and cowl. 

“I feel lethal, on the verge of frenzy…”