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Buzz Feed
16-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Buzz Feed
The Director Of 'American Psycho' Just Read 'Wall Street Bros' To Filth As She Pointed Out How Misguided Their Hero-Worship Of Patrick Bateman Is
Mary Harron, the director of the 2000 movie American Psycho, has called out the widespread misconception that 'Wall Street bros' have about the film. For reference, the movie is based on Bret Easton Ellis's highly controversial 1991 book of the same name, and stars Christian Bale as Patrick Bateman, a wealthy and successful New York City investment banker who is secretly obsessed with rape and murder. His story is an obviously satirical take on both masculinity and wealth, yet some concerning corners of society view Bateman as some kind of hero. After all, he's rich, he's handsome, and he's well-dressed. He speaks articulately and seems well-educated, and is totally devoted to a strict workout and skincare routine — all in a bid to out-alpha the other men in his circle. In 2022, GQ reflected on the new wave of men who idolize Patrick Bateman in an article with the headline: ' Sigma grindset: TikTok's toxic worshipping of Patrick Bateman is another sign young men are lost,' and now, in honor of the film's 25th anniversary, Harron has had her say on this misguided perception of its central character. Speaking to Letterboxd Journal, Harron admitted that she and her co-writer, Guinevere Turner, never would have expected viewers to consume such blatant satire so earnestly. Speaking about the way some men view Bateman as a role model, she said: 'I'm always so mystified by it. I don't think that Guinevere and I ever expected it to be embraced by Wall Street bros, at all. That was not our intention. So, did we fail?' 'I'm not sure why [it happened], because Christian's very clearly making fun of them…,' Harron added. 'But, people read the Bible and decide that they should go and kill a lot of people. People read The Catcher in the Rye and decide to shoot the president.' The filmmaker went on to acknowledge that some of Bateman's popularity stems from memes and social media, noting: 'There's [Bateman] being handsome and wearing good suits and having money and power. But at the same time, he's played as somebody dorky and ridiculous. When he's in a nightclub and he's trying to speak to somebody about hip hop — it's so embarrassing when he's trying to be cool.' And Harron also pointed out that the original book is 'a gay man's satire on masculinity,' and theorized that Ellis's sexuality meant that he was able to observe aspects of alpha male culture that those who are in it are unaware of. She said: '[Ellis] being gay allowed him to see the homoerotic rituals among these alpha males, which is also true in sports, and it's true in Wall Street, and all these things where men are prizing their extreme competition and their 'elevating their prowess' kind of thing. There's something very, very gay about the way they're fetishizing looks and the gym.' Ultimately, Harron concluded, American Psycho is 'about a predatory society,' and while there is 'a lot of horrific violence in the book,' it's actually 'a clear critique.' 'Not just of masculine behavior,' she added. 'Of the world of exploitation and consumption and greed and reduction of people.'
The Independent
16-04-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
American Psycho director hits out at misguided idolisation of Patrick Bateman
Mary Harron, the director of American Pyscho, has said she remains 'mystified' by the enduring idolisation of the film's psychopathic serial killer Patrick Bateman. The director, reflecting on the film in celebration of its 25th anniversary, questioned the love for Bateman, particularly among the very demographic the film set out to skewer and ridicule. Speaking to Letterboxd Journal, Harron addressed the cultural afterlife of the 2000 cult classic — especially its adoption by a new generation of men on platforms like TikTok, where Bateman is often idolised in the same breath as figures like Andrew Tate. 'There's [Bateman] being handsome and wearing good suits and having money and power,' Harron acknowledged. 'But at the same time, he's played as somebody dorky and ridiculous … It's so embarrassing when he's trying to be cool.' For Harron, Bateman was always a satire of toxic masculinity — not a champion of it. 'I'm always so mystified by it,' she said of the character's rebranding as a 'sigma male' icon. 'I don't think that [co-writer Guinevere Turner] and I ever expected it to be embraced by Wall Street bros, at all. That was not our intention. So, did we fail? I'm not sure why [it happened], because Christian's very clearly making fun of them.' American Psycho, adapted from Bret Easton Ellis 's 1991 novel, follows Bateman, a wealthy New York investment banker who doubles as a serial killer. Christian Bale 's portrayal, chilling and absurd, was intended to lampoon hyper-masculinity, materialism and the grotesque competitiveness of the corporate elite. That many young men now quote Bateman alongside figures like Tate — the 'influencer' currently facing rape and human trafficking charges – speaks to what GQ once called 'TikTok's toxic worshipping of Patrick Bateman', and to what Harron sees as a dangerous cultural disconnect. 'People read the Bible and decide that they should go and kill a lot of people. People read The Catcher in the Rye and decide to shoot the president,' she noted, pointing to how audiences can misinterpret. Part of that misreading, Harron believes, is down to a missing piece of the puzzle: 'I always saw American Psycho as a gay man's satire on masculinity,' she said, referring to Ellis's original novel. '[Ellis] being gay allowed him to see the homoerotic rituals among these alpha males … in Wall Street, in sports, in all these spaces where men are prizing their extreme competition. There's something very, very gay about the way they're fetishising looks and the gym.' Harron also reflected on how the film's themes feel even more urgent now. ' American Psycho is about a predatory society,' she said. 'And that society is actually much worse today. The rich are much richer, the poor are poorer. I would never have imagined that there would be a celebration of racism and white supremacy, which is basically what we have in the White House. I would never have imagined that we would live through that.' Meanwhile, a new film adaptation of American Psycho is reportedly in the works, helmed by Challengers director Luca Guadagnino, with a script from Scott Z Burns. Austin Butler has been rumoured to take on the role of Bateman, although no official casting has been confirmed.
Yahoo
16-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘American Psycho' Director Says 'Wall Street Bros' Missed Point of Film: 'A Gay Man's Satire on Masculinity'
American Psycho director Mary Harron said she's 'mystified' by the way the 2000 film has been 'embraced by Wall Street bros.' The filmmaker recently chatted with Letterboxd Journal about the 'sigma male' social media phenomenon and how some men have grown to look at Christian Bale's Patrick Bateman as a role model. More from The Hollywood Reporter 'Home Alone 2' Director Chris Columbus "Wishes" He Could Cut Trump's Cameo: "It's Become This Curse" Seth Rogen's Criticism of Silicon Valley's Support for Trump Was Cut From the "Full" Stream of Breakthrough Prize Jimmy Kimmel Responds to Critics Who Resurface 'Man Show' Clips to Call Him a "Hypocrite" 'I'm always so mystified by it,' Harron said. 'I don't think that Guinevere [Turner, American Psycho writer-actress] and I ever expected it to be embraced by Wall Street bros, at all. That was not our intention. So, did we fail? I'm not sure why [it happened], because Christian's very clearly making fun of them… But, people read the Bible and decide that they should go and kill a lot of people. People read The Catcher in the Rye and decide to shoot the president.' However, The Notorious Bettie Page director added that 'Wall Street bros' actually missed the overall point of the film, which follows Patrick Bateman, a wealthy New York City investment banking executive who hides his alternate psychopathic ego from his co-workers and friends as he delves deeper into his violent, hedonistic fantasies. 'It was very clear to me and Guinevere, who is gay, that we saw it as a gay man's satire on masculinity,' Harron explained. '[American Psycho author Bret Easton Ellis'] being gay allowed him to see the homoerotic rituals among these alpha males, which is also true in sports, and it's true in Wall Street, and all these things where men are prizing their extreme competition and their 'elevating their prowess' kind of thing. There's something very, very gay about the way they're fetishizing looks, and the gym.' In Ellis' novel, Patrick Bateman also idolizes Donald Trump, who is currently serving his second term as the U.S. president. While American Psycho is set during the Reagan era in the '80s, when the AIDS Epidemic hit the LGBTQ community, the filmmaker was taken aback at how the story has aged over time, as transgender rights are now under attack by the Trump administration. 'It was about a predatory society, and now the society is actually, 25 years later, much worse. The rich are much richer, the poor are poorer,' she said. 'I would never have imagined that there would be a celebration of racism and white supremacy, which is basically what we have in the White House. I would never have imagined that we would live through that.' As American Psycho celebrates its 25th anniversary this year, Luca Guadagnino is set to helm a new film adaptation for Lionsgate. Best of The Hollywood Reporter "A Nutless Monkey Could Do Your Job": From Abusive to Angst-Ridden, 16 Memorable Studio Exec Portrayals in Film and TV The 10 Best Baseball Movies of All Time, Ranked 20 Times the Oscars Got It Wrong
