To thrive as a director in Tinseltown is to trade your own lens for the audience’s eyes, which comes with a risk or two. Yet, more often than not, those fears dissolve the moment the viewers render their verdict. But even decades after American Psycho
hit theaters, the director reflected on the lingering shadows of creative doubt. Despite the cult status of Christian Bale’s chilling turn as Patrick Bateman, she spoke of a persistent unease—had the film, in all its stylized satire, misfired in its messaging?
At the heart of American Psycho
lies the literary sleight-of-hand of the unreliable narrator. But the maker questioned whether Bateman’s metamorphosis from monster to misunderstood meant that they, too, had become unreliable narrators?
American Psycho director’s unsettling reflection on the obsession with Patrick Bateman
In the wake of American Psycho
’s 25th anniversary, director Mary Harron conversed with Letterboxd Journal about
the 2000 film and Patrick Bateman’s unexpected influence on the audience. Speaking of the dark psychological thriller, the endorsement of “Wall Street Bros,”
and the worship of Bateman, Harron revealed that the reaction still mystifies her
. With time and reflection, she mused, “Did we fail?”
because that was never the intention.
Christian Bale insisted on getting American Psycho author Bret Easton Ellis’s approval, arranged a meeting. Bale showed up, dressed and introduced himself as “Patrick Bateman”. After 10 minutes Ellis begged Bale to stop because his hands were shaking.
— Emir Han (@RealEmirHan) March 21, 2025
“I’m not sure why [it happened] because Christian’s very clearly making fun of them,”
Harron said, highlighting the glamorization of Patrick Bateman. She acknowledged the role of TikTok and memes in glorifying the character, not only handsome but also rich and powerful. However, what many lose sight of is that Bateman is also a character who is inherently a sociopath, and that “he’s played as somebody dorky and ridiculous.”
Mary Harron continued that it still baffles her that there is an evident lack of understanding within the “Wall Street bros”
about American Psycho.
Mary Harron highlights the one thing American Psycho’s reception overlooked
In her conversation with Letterboxd Journal, Mary Harron revealed she has always viewed American Psycho
as a “g– man’s satire on masculinity.”
The film is an adaptation of Bret Easton Ellis’ novel of the same name. “[Ellis] being g– allowed him to see the ho——– rituals among these alpha males,”
she pointed out, which applies in sports, and even on Wall Street. As a result, the ignorance puzzles her.
For his role as Patrick Bateman in ‘American Psycho’ (2000), Christian Bale was inspired by Tom Cruise, in which Bale was struck by the star’s ‘very intense friendliness with nothing behind the eyes’ pic.twitter.com/J2S3jfpEZw
— Film Facts 🎬 (@Factsonfilm) March 11, 2020
Harron clarified, American Psycho
is a story about a “predatory society,”
one she feels is actually much worse in contemporary times. She called out the celebration of “ra—- and white supremacy.”
Although Patrick Bateman is on the way to a comeback with Luca Guadagnino’s new interpretation of the novel, the craze surrounding the casting of Patrick Bateman
is a subtle hint of what Harron keeps bringing attention to.
What do you think of Mary Harron’s reflection and stance on the obsession with Patrick Bateman? Let us know in the comments below!
