Case File 056: American Psycho

When describing the reaction to Bret Easton Ellis's 1991 novel American Psycho, the word "controversial" seems hilariously inadequate. The backlash to this transgressive tale of a Wall Street stockbroker who moonlights as a sadistic serial killer was intense. So when the film adaptation hit theaters in 2000, it was anticipated with a great deal of trepidation and skepticism. As it turns out, director Mary Harron brought the satirical elements of the book front and center in a way that not only recontextualized the source material for many people, it arguably improved upon it in many ways. Two decades later, the character of Patrick Bateman maintains a stranglehold on pop culture and we wanted to investigate why. Topics include: the arduous road to getting the film made and some truly shocking prior iterations that almost made it to the screen, Christian Bale's "method-adjacent" approach to his performance and the effect that had on his co-stars, why the themes of the story are maybe even more relevant now, the in-name-only sequel, Bateman's appearances in other media, whether or not audiences have spent 20 years asking the wrong question about the film's ending, and much more! Facebook | Twitter | Instagram Apple Podcasts | Stitcher | Google Play | Spotify Chris's Instagram & Twitter | Kristen's Instagram Chris & Kristen's Web Series: The Strange Case of Lucy Chandler