45 Patrick Bateman Quotes From American Psycho Movie [2000] American Horror Film

American Psycho is a controversial film because of its violent and gruesome content. Based on the 1991 novel by Bret Easton Ellis, the film received backlash due to its graphic depiction of torture and violence against women.

Maureen O’Brien wrote an article on ew.com where she summed the events leading up to the novel’s publication. For instance, she writes, Roger Rosenblatt of The New York Times dubbed the book the “most loathsome offering of the season.”

She continues to write.., Tammy Bruce of NOW (National Organization for Women) described the novel as “a how-to manual on the torture and dismemberment of women” and called for a nationwide boycott of the American Psycho novel.

🔹 The book was supposed to be published by Simon and Schuster in the US.

Still, they dropped it three months before the release due to protests from female employees and public backlash at the time following journalist critics from TIME, CNN, Spy magazines, and other major publishers.

Sonny Mehta of Vintage Books subsequently picked it up, and after its release, both he and Ellis started receiving death threats.

◬ Why is American Psycho popular in the 2000s and NOT in the 1980s?

American Psycho stars Christian Bale as Patrick Bateman, a successful and charming investment banker who lives a double life as a serial killer.

The storyline of the movie, set in the 1980s, is a psychological thriller and dark satirical comedy representing the greed, narcissism, and consumerism of the yuppie culture of the decade, as perfectly depicted by Bateman’s character.

On the surface, Bateman is a twenty-six-year-old who has it all: good looks, money, a beautiful fiance, expensive clothes, and a reservation in all of the posh, new restaurants in New York City.

Yet, deep down, he loathes everyone in his circle and regularly imagines himself murdering people for pleasure.

His targets start with people around him, such as his coworkers and friends, but soon, Bateman unravels and targets random people, such as prostitutes and people who get in his way.

The film’s ending leaves the viewer questioning whether Bateman’s crimes were imaginary or not, as he does not receive the punishment he expected and desired.

Is American Psycho a true story?

American Psycho is not a true story; neither is Patrick Bateman any particular real-life individual. Instead, Patrick Bateman is a fictional character created by Bret Easton to explain how a violent murderer can live a successful life in America.

Ellis was brainstorming about writing a new novel while hanging out with young guys working on Wall Street when one night, out of the blue, thoughts of a young man who is a serial killer, a sad banker, going crazy started to form in his mind.

With those thoughts, he rewrote an earlier outline, and from Bret Easton Ellis himself, that’s how American Psycho happened.

What is the significance of the business card scene in American Psycho?

The business card scene is the pivotal moment in the American Psycho movie where we see Patrick Bateman’s fragile ego being stomped upon by the mere sight of his coworker’s business card.

The scene set the stone for Bateman’s moral descent, which led him to execute his spiral downfall of murder and psychological breakdown. It also showed the movie’s symbolism of superficiality and greed among men in the business world.

The scene occurs in the Pierce and Pierce conference room, where Bateman and his colleagues talk about suits, accounts, and shallow, materialistic things that consume their lives.

They soon start comparing their cards, with Bateman’s colleague, Paul Allen (played by Jared Leto), being praised as the best business card.

☑ Paul Allen is the person Patrick Bateman wants to be.

Because Allen’s card is better than his, that triggers Bateman’s insecurity and loathing for Allen’s rank in the company, as the latter had the better job and title and, of course, the better business card.

As a result, Patrick Bateman could barely keep himself together.

Soon after this, Bateman begins his killing rampage, stabbing a homeless man in a dark alley and stomping the man’s dog to death. He soon sets his target on Paul Allen, getting him drunk and murdering him with an axe in his apartment.

After a violent outburst throughout the movie, things start to get peculiar when Patrick stops at an ATM to withdraw money but gets a surprising request, “Feed me a stray cat,” from the automated teller machine.

As Patrick prepares to shoot the kitten and throw it into the ATM slot, without pausing for a second, he shoots a woman who confronts him and kills police officers during a chase and two more people.

The movie begins to take a turn that makes viewers wonder how many of Patrick’s crimes have actually occurred up to this point.

He then calls his attorney, Harold Carnes, in a fit of hysteria and confesses to his murders while laughing and crying into Harold’s answering machine.

He claims to have killed between 20 and 40 people, admits to explicitly murdering Paul Allen, and tells Harold that the body of Paul Allen is currently decomposing in a bathtub in Hell’s Kitchen.

Fans of the book and movie have put forth numerous explanations and debates in response to the film’s ending and whether Patrick Bateman is a real serial killer or a businessman with unfulfilled cruel fantasies!

Was Patrick Bateman realistically recounting what he did, or was his mental state deteriorating as the story progresses, and therefore he hallucinated?

Consider, for instance, his attempted effort to clean Paul Allen’s apartment but being told by the realtor the apartment he visited does not belong to Paul.

And how about Harold claims that Bateman could not have killed Paul Allen because the two of them had recently eaten dinner together in London.

Where Can I Watch American Psycho?

There are a few different ways to watch American Psycho. You can buy, rent or stream it online from your favorite movie streaming platforms.

Is American psycho on Netflix?

American Psycho is on Netflix in some countries, but not all. The movie’s availability on Netflix depends on the licensing agreements that Netflix has with the movie’s distributors. Check to see if American Psycho is available in your country here.

Although still controversial, American Psycho is both suspenseful and thrilling to watch, as it follows the Patrick Bateman character’s descent into madness.

We hope you found the infamous Patrick Bateman quotes quite memorable to read.