He kills everyone he hates, and paul allen seems to be the first in his list. The bret easton ellis novel american psycho, a dark, violent satire of the me culture of ronald reagans 1980s, is certainly one of the most controversial books of. Mar 10, 2020 first of all, the book and movie are both different. American psycho ending explained before we postulate the theories and work on them to possibly conclude which can be more accurate, we have to understand the sequence of events leading up to the climax scene. While initially appearing straightforward, the film intentionally unravels at the end, making plenty of people wonder whether or not patrick batemans murders ever actually took place. Abandon all hope ye who enter here is graffitied across the side of a bank in bloodred paint. Check out our revolutionary sidebyside summary and analysis. If you want to have american psycho explained, knowing the ending will definitely be of great help. American psycho a pretty sick guy batemans confession. American psycho begins with a quote from dantes inferno. American psycho 2000 rotten tomatoes movie trailers. Bateman doesnt hesitate to aim at the kitten but before he could shoot and feed it inside the atm, a grossed out old woman interrupts him. American psycho is a 2000 satirical psychological horror film cowritten and directed by mary harron, based on bret easton elliss 1991 novel of the same name. In many ways the text of american psycho is one mans ultimate series of selfies.
Movie talk will someone please explain the end of american psycho to me just watched it for the first timeloved it but totally about the ending. Movie plot ending explained source code is a repeating loop science fiction film directed by duncan jones whose prior film was moon. The american psycho ending has confounded viewers of the film for 20 years. Will someone please explain the end of american psycho to. American psycho debuted at the sundance film festival on january 21, 2000, and was released theatrically on april 14, 2000. As some 80s pop music plays from overhead, the men dance while strobe lights flash and some women on stage wave around prop guns like something out of a grind house flick. The bret easton ellis novel american psycho, a dark, violent satire of the me culture of ronald reagans 1980s, is certainly one of the most controversial books of the 90s, and that notoriety fueled its bestseller status. Like any good film, however, there are an abundance of clues scattered throughout the movie, and subsequent commentaries might help fans. American psycho has a good plot to it, some scenes are pointless. Aug 18, 2019 anyone who watches american psycho is always a bit confused by the plot. Like the bret easton ellis book that its based on, the ending of mary harrons american psycho is rather ambiguous, and has been a source of debate amongst fans for a long time. Toward the end of the movie bateman comes back to the apartment and. And its being saluted everywhere, from the requisite new bluray to.
Everything in the film has been leading up to this moment, and if the audience doesnt get a satisfying payoff, the movie could be doomed. American psycho screenwriter on patrick batemans legacy. Alison kelly of the observer notes that while some countries deem it so potentially disturbing that it can only be sold shrinkwrapped, critics rave about it and. If you want to read one of the funniest, darkest and most quotable books of the last few decades, read american psycho.
The american psycho quotes below are all either spoken by patrick bateman or refer to patrick bateman. More information can be found at the website ive referenced. This movie is about eliminating competition the easy way. Psycho, then, doesnt refer to one person or the other. What i consider the ending of american psycho is the point in the film when our unlikely protagonists world starts falling apart, quite literally, and like in nolans inception, the highly fragile dream world that patrick bateman played by a devilishly feisty christian bale built begins collapsing.
In our recent oral history to mark the 20th anniversary of. The ending of american psycho finally explained american psycho is often regarded as the first truly exceptional horror movie of the 21st century. During the movie, ellis shows the entire yuppie culture was so focused upon themselves that they consistently call each other by incorrect names and no one seems to care. As film adaptations of books go, the movie american psycho released in 2000 is fairly spoton. And its being saluted everywhere, from the requisite new bluray to a booking at the. While my logical mind tells me they are in his head because of many other circumstances where outlandish, obviously fantastical events happen see. Their early work was a little too new wave for my tastes, but when sports came out in 83, i think they really came into their own, commercially and artistically. The final scene of the film and the way you get there contradict what the film has shown so far, and the temptation is to think that everything happened only in the protagonists head, patrick bateman. What i consider the ending of american psycho is the point in the film when our unlikely protagonists world starts. The real meaning behind these confusing movie endings. The ending of american psycho makes it clear that none of the violence was real, and that patrick bateman the protagonist never actually hurt anybody, but instead was dreaming of a way out of his mundane consumerist existence. The story is told in the first person by patrick bateman, a serial killer and manhattan businessman.
American psycho explained there are obviously potential spoilers as it is an attempt to decipher and explain the ending of american psycho. Ellis explained that the book was really about the dandification of the american male. American psycho is often regarded as the first truly exceptional horror movie of the 21st century. Need help with end of the 1980s in bret easton elliss american psycho. The narrative takes some rather sharp turns as it builds up to its conclusion, and in the end leaves. American psycho screenwriter on patrick batemans legacy and that controversial ending. American psycho summary from litcharts the creators of. American psycho is a critique on how self centered our society wasis. Theres no question that patrick bateman, central character in mary harrons american psycho. American psycho is a satirical horror story about the inner life of.
For those who have seen american psycho what is your take on the ending explanation. It is apparent that the lead character here has an obsession for killing. Overall it is the story of young wealthy investment banker patrick bateman. I thought it was kinda odd, since my theory isnt very. American psycho ending can only be explained by taking in some evidence from the movies at face value. American psycho has strong acting from christain bale and willem dafoe. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one. Browse other questions tagged plot explanation american psycho. Sep 02, 2017 before we can talk about the ending of american psycho, we need to get one thing straight. The details you missed in the thoroughbreds movie explained. Money, sex, social stature, there is always someone else who has more and everyone else expect from you to try harder for even more. In the end of the movie, patrick bateman confessed to his lawyer all the things he has done. If you want to watch a movie showing a privileged yuppies psychological breakdown, watch vampires kiss 1989, starring nic cage.
May 25, 2018 the details you missed in the thoroughbreds movie explained or how his american psycho, heathers, american beauty, equivalent discusses ennui of being an american, a human, today. Sep 21, 2017 a celebration of great movie defenestrations. It is a depiction, a fantasy if you will, of the life of modern man and his place in society. Feb 23, 2016 sometimes a movie s shocking twist, ambiguous ending, or artsy finale can be more confusing than satisfying.
At a nightclub, bryce takes some money out of a clip and gives it to a man in drag, who lets them inside. No matter which way you spin it, the things going on in his. Before we can talk about the ending of american psycho, we need to get one thing straight. Movie plot ending explained primer is a long lost movie that only has a cult following. So much so that we cant even notice a murderer in our mist even when he confesses to it. Bateman orders a drink and hands the bartender a drink ticket, but. Ive been known to be both a picky reader and a finicky film critic, and even i think the movie version of bret easton ellis novel, published in 1991, is faithful to the text its based on. Bateman has emerged as one of the most iconic characters in film history. The ending of psycho has some of his best and creepiest filmmaking and his most broad and. Sep 04, 2017 american psycho is often regarded as the first truly exceptional horror movie of the 21st century. The most difficult part of a story to nail down is the conclusion. Atm patrick bateman visits the atm to withdraw money but atm pops up the message, feed me the stray cat. As the narration progresses, events in the film get more.
American psycho ending explained by its writers mary harron. The ending of psycho has some of his best and creepiest filmmaking and his. American psycho is a novel by bret easton ellis, published in 1991. Dec 01, 2016 the real meaning behind these confusing movie endings.
Jake gyllenhaal, michelle monaghan, and vera farmiga play the lead characters. It was made by shane carruth who also wrote the story and acted in it. What i got from it is basically that the life he was living was so repetitive that it drove batemen to fantasize about all the crazy psychotic acts that he committed. Look closer at the deeper meaning and messages of american psychos ending. Apr 01, 2019 the picture is, of course, alfred hitchcocks psycho, a film celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. Directed by mary harron and starring christian bale in a breakout performance, both american psycho and its main villain patrick. The ending, explained what i consider the ending of american psycho is the point in the film when our unlikely protagonists world starts falling apart, quite literally, and like in nolan s inception, the highly fragile dream world that patrick bateman played by a devilishly feisty christian bale built begins collapsing. The monster in psycho isnt a monster with big teeth and a distinct identity. Apr 17, 2015 american psycho screenwriter on patrick batemans legacy and that controversial ending. Even after 15 years of its release, the much ambiguous ending of american psycho calls for debate amongst fans. All of these events can be explained as happening inside batemans. Exploring the polarizing ending of mary harrons film.
The character of patrick bateman in american psycho from. The film adaptation of the bret easton ellis novel american psycho was released in 2000, and has been confusing viewers ever since. It stars christian bale, willem dafoe, jared leto, josh lucas, chloe sevigny, samantha mathis, cara seymour, justin theroux, guinevere turner and reese witherspoon. In the years since american psychos release, the movies fanbase has grown exponentially, and. It was really about what is going on with men now, in terms of surface narcissism. The details you missed in the thoroughbreds movie explained or how his american psycho, heathers, american beauty, equivalent discusses ennui of being an american, a human, today. Will someone please explain the end of american psycho to me. But it could also refer to the state in which you cant tell one from the other.
The ending of american psycho finally explained youtube. Apr 14, 2000 american psycho is not a slasher movie. Its firmly established throughout the film that american psychos lead. The picture is, of course, alfred hitchcocks psycho, a film celebrating its 50th anniversary this year.
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