American Psycho (film)

American Psycho
A man in a business suit, his face is reflected in the large knife he is holding
Theatrical release poster
Directed byMary Harron
Screenplay by
Based onAmerican Psycho
by Bret Easton Ellis
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyAndrzej Sekuła
Edited byAndrew Marcus
Music byJohn Cale
Production
companies
  • Edward R. Pressman Productions
  • Muse Productions
Distributed byLions Gate Films[1][2]
Release dates
  • January 21, 2000 (2000-01-21) (Sundance)
  • April 14, 2000 (2000-04-14) (United States and Canada)
Running time
102 minutes[3]
Countries
LanguageEnglish
Budget$7 million[4]
Box office$34 million[4]

American Psycho is a 2000 horror film directed by Mary Harron, who co-wrote the screenplay with Guinevere Turner. Based on the 1991 novel by Bret Easton Ellis, it stars Christian Bale as Patrick Bateman, a New York City investment banker who leads a double life as a serial killer. Willem Dafoe, Jared Leto, Josh Lucas, Chloë Sevigny, Samantha Mathis, Cara Seymour, Justin Theroux, and Reese Witherspoon appear in supporting roles. The film blends horror and black comedy to satirize 1980s yuppie culture and consumerism, exemplified by Bateman.

Ellis considered his controversial novel unfilmable but producer Edward R. Pressman was determined to adapt it and bought the film rights in 1992. Stuart Gordon, David Cronenberg, and Rob Weiss considered directing the film before Harron and Turner began writing the screenplay in 1996. They sought to make a 1980s period film that emphasized the novel's satire. The pre-production period was tumultuous; Harron chose Bale to play Bateman, but because distributor Lions Gate Films sought Leonardo DiCaprio in the role, Harron was fired and replaced with Oliver Stone. After Stone and DiCaprio left due to creative differences, Harron was rehired and allowed to cast Bale. Principal photography began in February 1999 in Toronto and New York City.

American Psycho premiered at the Sundance Film Festival on January 21, 2000 and was theatrically released in the United States on April 14. The film received mostly positive reviews, with praise for Bale's performance and the screenplay, and grossed $34 million on a $7 million budget. It has since developed a cult following and a strong presence in meme culture since the 2010s.[5] A direct-to-video sequel, American Psycho 2, was released in 2002, although it has little relation to the original. A new adaptation of the novel, directed by Luca Guadagnino, is currently in the works.[6]

  1. ^ a b "American Psycho (2000)". BFI. Archived from the original on July 24, 2016. Retrieved October 28, 2018.
  2. ^ a b "American Psycho". AFI Catalog. Retrieved October 28, 2018.
  3. ^ "American Psycho". British Board of Film Classification. Retrieved April 16, 2022.
  4. ^ a b "American Psycho (2000)". Box Office Mojo. IMDb. Retrieved September 18, 2009.
  5. ^ Potvin, James (March 16, 2022). "10 Movie Characters Who Became Memes". ScreenRant. Retrieved November 4, 2024.
  6. ^ https://deadline.com/2024/10/american-psycho-movie-luca-guadagnino-1236120177/