One of the best films of all time is leaving streaming platform, Netflix, in a matter of days. The film tells the story of an investment banker who leads a double life as a serial killer. American Psycho is a black comedy horror film that was directed by Mary Harron, who also co-wrote the screenplay with Guinevere Turner.
The film blends psychological horror with black comedy to satirise 1980s “yuppie” culture and consumerism that took place in the 1980s and it is based on the novel by Bret Easton Ellis, released in 1991.
The film stars Christian Bale in the leas role alongside Willem Dafoe, Jared Leto, Josh Lucas, Samantha Mathis, Matt Ross, Bill Sage, Chloë Sevigny, Cara Seymour, Justin Theroux, Guinevere Turner and Reese Witherspoon.
American Psycho’s synopsis reads: “In New York City in 1987, a handsome, young urban professional, Patrick Bateman (Christian Bale), lives a second life as a gruesome serial killer by night. The cast is filled by the detective (Willem Dafoe), the fiance (Reese Witherspoon), the mistress (Samantha Mathis), the coworker (Jared Leto), and the secretary (Chloë Sevigny). This is a biting, wry comedy examining the elements that make a man a monster.”
American Psycho received positive reviews from crucial publications but it did receive some backlash for its violent nature. Now, it is seen as a classic and is often placed high in ranking for the best films of all time.
One fan on Reddit desdcribed the film as one of the “best movies I’ve ever watched”.
On Rotten Tomatoes, the audience awarded the film with an 85% rating, while the critics rated it lower at 68%. Their consensus states: “If it falls short of the deadly satire of Bret Easton Ellis’s novel, American Psycho still finds its own blend of horror and humor, thanks in part to a fittingly creepy performance by Christian Bale.”
A top critic said: “Bale so inhabits the character that we seem to be inside his increasingly deranged mind.”
One audience reviewer said: “A near perfect film with iconic cinematography and dialogue. Some of the horror elements are lack luster but other than a corny scene or two this movie is throughly entertaining and thought provoking.”
American Psycho is streaming on Netflixfor 19 more days, until August 9.