American Psycho

 Hey everyone! Welcome to my very first blog post.

I’ve always been a huge fan of horror movies. Whether it’s ghosts, slasher villains, or creepy folklore, I’m all in. So when I finally sat down to watch American Psycho last night, I expected the usual thrill — something intense, bloody, maybe even a bit over-the-top. And sure, American Psycho has those moments, but to be honest, it wasn’t what I expected at all. And that’s what makes it so interesting to talk about.

First off, if you haven’t seen it, American Psycho is a film released in the year 2000, directed by Mary Harron and based on the novel by Bret Easton Ellis. Christian Bale stars as Patrick Bateman, a wealthy, attractive investment banker in 1980s New York who also happens to be, well… a murderer. That alone sounds like the setup for a classic horror flick. But instead of going full slasher or psychological terror, the movie leans hard into satire, which really took me by surprise.

The horror in American Psycho isn’t really about jump scares or even traditional suspense. The scariest thing is actually how empty and superficial everyone is in Bateman’s world. There’s a whole scene where a group of men compare business cards, and they’re dead serious about it. Like, these guys are about to have a breakdown over font choices. At first, I thought it was funny, it can’t be that deep, right? But the more I watched, the more I realized that the movie wants you to laugh at how shallow these people are… until it doesn’t.

Patrick Bateman is creepy, no doubt. Bale plays him with this weird mix of charm and complete emotional detachment. He’s obsessed with his looks, his skincare routine, and his morning workouts, all while hiding this brutal, violent side. One minute he’s analyzing the meaning of a Huey Lewis song, and the next he’s axing someone to death. It’s jarring, and the contrast feels surreal. But what makes it scarier is how no one around him seems to notice. Or care.

That’s probably what stuck with me the most after watching it: how isolated and disconnected everyone is. Bateman literally confesses to murder multiple times, and people either ignore him, think he’s joking, or mistake him for someone else entirely. It’s like he doesn’t even exist in any meaningful way, he’s just another rich guy in a sea of clones. That hit different. It’s horror, but in a cold, empty, existential kind of way.

By the end, I wasn’t even sure what was real and what wasn’t. Did he actually kill all those people? Or was it in his head? The movie doesn’t really answer that, and that ambiguity is what makes it linger. It’s not about confirming if he’s guilty. It’s more about asking why no one seemed to notice or care, and what that says about the society around him.

If you’re going into American Psycho expecting something like Scream or The Conjuring, you’ll probably be confused because I was at first. But if you watch it as a psychological horror and social commentary, it becomes a whole different experience. It’s more about the horror of identity loss, performative masculinity, capitalism, and emptiness than it is about the actual murders.

So, would I recommend it? Yes, but with the right mindset. It’s not your average horror movie, but it is disturbing in its own unique way. Christian Bale absolutely carries the film with his wild, layered performance, and some scenes really stick with you. It’s stylish, uncomfortable, and darkly funny, all at once.

Anyway, that’s all for now. I’m excited to keep watching and writing more. If you’ve seen American Psycho, I’d love to know your thoughts. Did it mess with your head too?