Uploaded January 2024 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
There’s a film I love but which has an ending that leaves its legacy somewhat blurry and confused and that film is American Psycho. For a long time, it too had me strangely pondering what it all really meant until only very recently and in an effort to remove such confusion for such a great film, I have to explain or at least offer up one other interpretation for you to see.
The point I specifically want to examine is the infamous realtor scene where Patrick Bateman visits Paul Allen’s apartment to clean up his chaotic bloody mess. When he arrives to do so, he is met with something completely different: the place is already clean and more than that, it is immaculate. Any evidence of his murder of Paul Allen is wiped away, and instead, we get a mysterious real estate agent who cryptically tells him to leave and never come back. Although she never says it directly, it’s implied that she knows of the evil that Bateman enacted but chooses to look the other way.
This scene never made sense to me because I never understood if it was real or not. If it was real, why did she not simply call the police on Bateman?
Thank you to my incredible Patreons for continuing to support this channel. You guys are amazing.
These include the lovely people “Matthew McKinley and ThatEvilCanadian” at the time this was made.
If you’d also like the option of becoming a Patreon, head to:
patreon.com/motioninart
For more of my reviews, analyses, and other articles:
motioninartmedia.com
Twitter:
twitter.com/motion_in_art
Reddit:
reddit.com/user/motioninart
What is American Psycho?
American Psycho is a 2000 satirical psychological horror film directed by Mary Harron, who co-wrote the screenplay with Guinevere Turner. Based on the 1991 novel by Bret Easton Ellis, it stars Christian Bale as Patrick Bateman, a New York City investment banker who leads a double life as a serial killer. Willem Dafoe, Jared Leto, Josh Lucas, Chloë Sevigny, Samantha Mathis, Cara Seymour, Justin Theroux, and Reese Witherspoon appear in supporting roles. The film blends horror and black comedy to satirize 1980s yuppie culture and consumerism, exemplified by Bateman and supporting cast. Jeff Sackman is credited for the role of executive producer.
Ellis considered his controversial novel unfilmable due to its graphic nature, but producer Edward R. Pressman was determined to adapt it and bought the film rights in 1992. Stuart Gordon, David Cronenberg, and Rob Weiss considered directing the film before Harron and Turner began writing the screenplay in 1996. They sought to make a period film grounded in the 1980s, sharing the setting with the novel. The pre-production period was tumultuous; Harron cast Bale to play Bateman, but because distributor Lionsgate Films secured a contract with Leonardo DiCaprio in the role, Harron was dismissed and replaced with Oliver Stone. Stone made a number of important decisions that remained with the final film, most notably casting Chloë Sevigny. His partnership with DiCaprio was dissolved following creative differences, leading Lionsgate to rehire Harron under the condition she could cast Bale as the lead. Principal photography began in February 1999 in Toronto and New York City.
American Psycho premiered at the Sundance Film Festival on January 21, 2000, and was theatrically released in the United States on April 14. The film received positive reviews, with praise for Bale's performance and the screenplay. Grossing over $34 million on a $7 million budget, the film was considered a box-office success. Following the DVD release in 2005, American Psycho quickly developed a large cult following. The film experienced a revival of popular interest in the 2020s due to its strong presence in contemporary meme culture, typically centered around Bateman's perceived "sigma male" personality.
And if you’re still reading this – hello.
This video is made through Fair Use under copyright law for the purposes of education in criticism or review; as well as parody or satire. copyright.gov/title17/92c https://www.copyright.org.au/ACC_Prod
There’s a film I love but which has an ending that leaves its legacy somewhat blurry and confused and that film is American Psycho. For a long time, it too had me strangely pondering what it all really meant until only very recently and in an effort to remove such confusion for such a great film, I have to explain or at least offer up one other interpretation for you to see.
The point I specifically want to examine is the infamous realtor scene where Patrick Bateman visits Paul Allen’s apartment to clean up his chaotic bloody mess. When he arrives to do so, he is met with something completely different: the place is already clean and more than that, it is immaculate. Any evidence of his murder of Paul Allen is wiped away, and instead, we get a mysterious real estate agent who cryptically tells him to leave and never come back. Although she never says it directly, it’s implied that she knows of the evil that Bateman enacted but chooses to look the other way.
This scene never made sense to me because I never understood if it was real or not. If it was real, why did she not simply call the police on Bateman?
Thank you to my incredible Patreons for continuing to support this channel. You guys are amazing.
These include the lovely people “Matthew McKinley and ThatEvilCanadian” at the time this was made.
If you’d also like the option of becoming a Patreon, head to:
patreon.com/motioninart
For more of my reviews, analyses, and other articles:
motioninartmedia.com
Twitter:
twitter.com/motion_in_art
Reddit:
reddit.com/user/motioninart
What is American Psycho?
American Psycho is a 2000 satirical psychological horror film directed by Mary Harron, who co-wrote the screenplay with Guinevere Turner. Based on the 1991 novel by Bret Easton Ellis, it stars Christian Bale as Patrick Bateman, a New York City investment banker who leads a double life as a serial killer. Willem Dafoe, Jared Leto, Josh Lucas, Chloë Sevigny, Samantha Mathis, Cara Seymour, Justin Theroux, and Reese Witherspoon appear in supporting roles. The film blends horror and black comedy to satirize 1980s yuppie culture and consumerism, exemplified by Bateman and supporting cast. Jeff Sackman is credited for the role of executive producer.
Ellis considered his controversial novel unfilmable due to its graphic nature, but producer Edward R. Pressman was determined to adapt it and bought the film rights in 1992. Stuart Gordon, David Cronenberg, and Rob Weiss considered directing the film before Harron and Turner began writing the screenplay in 1996. They sought to make a period film grounded in the 1980s, sharing the setting with the novel. The pre-production period was tumultuous; Harron cast Bale to play Bateman, but because distributor Lionsgate Films secured a contract with Leonardo DiCaprio in the role, Harron was dismissed and replaced with Oliver Stone. Stone made a number of important decisions that remained with the final film, most notably casting Chloë Sevigny. His partnership with DiCaprio was dissolved following creative differences, leading Lionsgate to rehire Harron under the condition she could cast Bale as the lead. Principal photography began in February 1999 in Toronto and New York City.
American Psycho premiered at the Sundance Film Festival on January 21, 2000, and was theatrically released in the United States on April 14. The film received positive reviews, with praise for Bale's performance and the screenplay. Grossing over $34 million on a $7 million budget, the film was considered a box-office success. Following the DVD release in 2005, American Psycho quickly developed a large cult following. The film experienced a revival of popular interest in the 2020s due to its strong presence in contemporary meme culture, typically centered around Bateman's perceived "sigma male" personality.
And if you’re still reading this – hello.
This video is made through Fair Use under copyright law for the purposes of education in criticism or review; as well as parody or satire. copyright.gov/title17/92c https://www.copyright.org.au/ACC_Prod
