American Psycho
Like many, I was swept up by the viral “Sigma Male” trend that’s been circulating on social media. You’ve probably seen the memes, with images of Christian Bale’s character from American Pscyho, Patrick Bateman, presented as the epitome of the lone, ultra-confident Sigma Male. Intrigued by the trend, I decided to dig deeper into the source material - “American Psycho” - and found myself face-to-face with one of the most complex and unsettling characters ever put to screen.
But first, lets get one thing straight: American Pscyho isn’t just another movie you casually throw on. Released in 2000 (though I’m catching up in 2024), it’s a film that sits squarely in the “not for the faint of heart” category. On the surface, it’s about a Wall Street Yuppie who moonlights as a serial killer – but beneath that lies a disturbing, satirical commentary on society’s obsession with status, wealth and superficiality.
One of the most fascinating aspects of American Psycho is its open-endedness. After the blood-soaked mayhem, we’re left wondering: Did Patrick Bateman really commit all those murders? Or were they simply a part of his unhinged fantasies? The film never gives a clear answer, leaving it up to us to interpret. Personally, I believe Bateman’s crimes are symbolic – a grotesque fantasy, a manifestation of his repressed emotions and inner turmoil.
It’s tempting to slap a psychological diagnosis on Bateman – using heavy jargon like Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD), Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) or Antisocial Personality Disorder (ASPD). But to reduce the film’s message to one man’s mental illness would be to miss the bigger picture. It’s not just Bateman that needs diagnosing – it’s the entire society he’s a product of. As it is said, the mind is the result of the social phenomenon.
Bateman’s psyche is a reflection of the culture surrounding him: the ruthless, image-obsessed Manhattan of the 1980’s. He moves through a world where appearances are everything, where wealth and status dictate your worth, and where moral decay hides behind designer suits and power lunches. This is a world where people are more invested in their business cards than their souls.
As Bateman chillingly states:
“There is an idea of a Patrick Bateman, some kind of abstraction, but there is no real me, only an entity, something illusory. And though I can hide my cold gaze, and you can shake my hand and feel flesh gripping yours, and maybe you can even sense our lifestyles are probably comparable, I am simply not there.”
This quote perfectly encapsulates his fractured identity. There’s no authentic Bateman – only the façade is wears to blend into this world of wealth and privilege, he just wants to fit in. His relentless pursuit of perfection, the shallow interaction with his elite social circle, and the constant competition for status feed into his detachment from reality. As his mental state unravels, so too does the line between his curated image and violent fantasies.
In many ways, Bateman is less a character and more a mirror reflecting the toxic society around him. He is the byproduct of a world consumed by greed, excess, and emotional detachment. The film doesn’t just critique one psychopathic man – it critiques a society so empty and self-absorbed that it produces men like Bateman.
What makes American Psycho so compelling, and why it remains relevant years after its release, is this deeper meaning. It’s not just a horror story or a slasher film – it’s dark satire at its best. The movie uses Bateman’s deranged mind to comment on the destructive power of a world driven by image, materialism, and a hollow pursuit of status. So, while social media may glorify Patrick Bateman as the “Sigma Male” archetype, he is no hero or a role model. If anything, he’s a chilling warning of what happens when society values the surface over the soul.
If you’re intrigued by this movie then you’ll definitely want to check out American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis, the novel that inspired the film. The book delves even deeper into Patrick Bateman’s psyche, offering a chilling exploration of consumerism, identity, and moral decay. You might also enjoy watching films that explore the similar themes, such as: Fight Club, Taxi Driver, Requiem for a Dream and The Wolf of Wall Street.
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