American psycho end explained

The American Psycho ending explained little and makes a point of leaving its events ambiguous during the discomfiting, blackly comic finale, demystifying none of its strange and seemingly contradictory occurrences.

Patrick Bateman Christian Bale is a New York City yuppie that moonlights as a serial killer, but did he actually kill people? How much of the movie takes place in his unhinged mind? Upon its release, it was derided by many critics as being misogynistic, while other critics went in the opposite direction and claimed that the movie was sexist towards men. Similar to the novel, the ending is infamously ambiguous, leaving us to wonder what actually happened throughout the movie. While both explanations are valid, it is ultimately up to the viewer to decide what really happened throughout the movie. Because the ending is so reliant on the plot, let me give you a quick summary of American Psycho.

American psycho end explained

The real American Psycho meaning is hard to explain, as the film's deeply psychotic protagonist and ambiguous ending make its general message somewhat difficult to unravel. Christian Bale's performance as Patrick Bateman is iconic and secured American Psycho a cult following that's endured over two decades. Patrick Bateman indulges his most violent urges in American Psycho , acting on every sadistic impulse without any consequence in his Wall Street life. The film was every bit as controversial as Ellis' novel — little surprise when Ellis himself considered the literary Bateman's descent into depravity and true madness too shocking for cinema. American Psycho's ending culminates on a decidedly ambiguous note which calls many of the previous events of the narrative into question. Many viewers come to the conclusion American Psycho made use of the oft-bemoaned "it was all a dream" trope. However, director Mary Harron stated that this isn't the case. Instead, American Psycho explained Bateman's true nature, rephrasing the entire story in a new light, even if it is easy to miss. American Psycho' s meaning is a commentary on the inherent violence of corporate greed. Christian Bale's movie roles are carefully picked, and he has a preference for stories that dig deep into human nature. Patrick Bateman's casual cruelty and violent sadism are key elements of his characterization, and why he's such a cultural icon. The carnage he causes is a direct example of the American Psycho explained metaphor — violence as a stand-in for corporate greed.

This is a biting, wry comedy examining the elements that make a man a monster. Our editorial is always independent learn more.

The cult classic horror film American Psycho garnered a lot of unanswered questions about the true meaning behind it. Or were all the crimes he had committed in his head? There were moments in American Psycho where Patrick partook in heinous acts of murdering people he deemed unworthy of existence. He killed not only his colleague but a homeless man, a dog, a supposed girlfriend, and sex workers. His perception of reality began to dwindle when he killed Paul Allen Jared Leto.

The ending of the black comedy horror film American Psycho has been the subject of many heated debates among cinephiles. Directed by Mary Harron and based on Bret Easton Ellis 's novel of the same name, American Psycho follows Patrick Bateman Christian Bale , a wealthy New York City investment banking executive by day and a psychopathic serial killer with an eclectic music collection by night. After going on a murderous rampage over the course of the movie, things start to take a strange turn when Patrick stops at an ATM that has an unusual request: "Feed me a stray cat. In New York City in , a handsome, young urban professional, Patrick Bateman Christian Bale , lives a second life as a gruesome serial killer by night. This is a biting, wry comedy examining the elements that make a man a monster. Up until this point in the film, we can suspend our disbelief that Patrick is somehow getting away with his brutal crimes scot-free — American Psycho is a satire after all. But from the moment Patrick scoops a stray kitten off the ground, prepared to shove it in the slot, the film starts to take a turn that sparks the question of just how much of Patrick's crimes up to this point have actually occurred. The story is told from Patrick's perspective , and Patrick quickly becomes an unreliable narrator in these crucial last 30 minutes of the film. As he holds the poor, unsuspecting kitten up to the ATM slot, a passerby, justifiably horrified, demands to know what he is doing.

American psycho end explained

It was quickly cemented as one of the most ambiguous and confusing films in cinematic history. While initially appearing straightforward, the movie intentionally unravels at the end, making plenty of people wonder whether or not Patrick Bateman's murders even took place. Did Bateman really kill Paul Allen, or did his rival move to London? What's the deal with Allen's apartment, and why does Bateman's lawyer mistake him for someone else?

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While the ending may seem to be underwhelming for audiences because Patrick never goes to jail for his crimes, he is still forced to face the guilt of what he's done, being denied the catharsis that he craves so desperately. The greatest endings in cinema are the ones that leave us slightly confused and wanting an answer. He tries to explain himself, but as it turns out, the lawyer doesn't even recognize him. After Bateman murders his co-worker, Paul Allen, American Psycho explained that Bateman's grip on his double life begins to unravel, as the veil between his two personas begins to slip. Lionsgate Films. And when he does confess to his kills, either subtly or not, no one cares because the yuppie culture has displaced people's humanity. Bateman goes to have drinks with his friends and spots his lawyer Carnes Stephen Bogaert. Harron and Ellis have both said that the question of whether Patrick killed Jared Leto's Paul Allen is intentionally left ambiguous, as both possibilities reinforce American Psycho 's meaning. But we did want it to be, at the end, that you really did think that he did these things. Release Date April 13, The American Psycho ending explained that Bateman returns from the confounding confrontation with his lawyer to find his co-workers watching Ronald Reagan speak on television, commenting on the Iran Contra affair. This causes Patrick to stop in his tracks and self-reflect on his entire existence.

The American Dream, the life.

In addition to all that, the lawyer thinks the phone call was a prank — and he adds that Paul Allen can't be dead because he just had lunch with him in London. Harron explained via Vulture how Bateman and the Joker, both incredibly violent psychopaths, are so impactful because they naturally put audiences in an uncomfortable position. Harron and Ellis have both said that the question of whether Patrick killed Jared Leto's Paul Allen is intentionally left ambiguous, as both possibilities reinforce American Psycho 's meaning. All these years later, the "American Psycho" movie has been studied and analyzed, and yet However, the apartment is such a prime piece of New York real estate that the owner of the building hushed it up, got rid of the corpses, and is trying to rent it out without anyone knowing. Is Patrick Batemen an actual serial killer, or is he a businessman harboring sadistic fantasies that he never fulfills? After going on a murderous rampage over the course of the movie, things start to take a strange turn when Patrick stops at an ATM that has an unusual request: "Feed me a stray cat. Share on facebook. Release Date April 13, Community Guidelines. You can unsubscribe at any time. And, for those tinkering with AI for video, their offering of AI-generated voices either text-to-voice or voice-to-voice are quite great options.