40 must-watch movies to consider yourself a film buff

American Psycho (2000)

In this era where the term toxic masculinity is brought up a lot, it’s worth noting that while the term has traction now, we were seeing evidence of it years ago. Mary Harron’s adaptation of the Bret Easton Ellis novel of the same name, American Psycho is a blistering send-up of the era of excess: the 1980s. It tells the story of banking executive Patrick Bateman (a pre-Batman Christian Bale) who sits in an office all day and commits heinous murders by night. Or does he?

Harron and screenwriter Guinevere Turner’s script does a lot towards examining masculinity, the differing definitions of success, and how corporate culture and consumerism might play into things. It’s also incredibly dark and extremely hilarious. The jokes about the ‘80s aside, Bale’s performance here is chilling. His mugging for the camera presents a man constantly acting — acting normal and charming while meanwhile he’s the worst, most frightening villain you can ever hope to encounter. And he has some of the best dance sequences in this movie that would be funny if they weren’t meant to precede a terrible crime.

As Bateman’s world crumbles, the film’s connections to reality get more tenuous leading a shocking conclusion. It’s one of the rare adaptations that’s actually worlds better than its printed source material.

Where to Watch It: Stream now on Amazon Prime, Hulu, and Epix. You can also rent it on Amazon, Apple, PlayStation, Google Play, YouTube, and Vudu.