5 days Ago By Soumyabrata Gupta
The 2000 cult classic American Psycho celebrated its 25th aniversary on April 14. Based on the 1991 novel by Bret Easton Ellis stars Christian Bale as Patrick Bateman, a New York City investment banker who leads a double life as a serial killer. Mary Harron recently reflected on the legacy of her film in an interview with Letterboxd Journal, noting its continued relevance—especially in the context of Donald Trump’s second presidency—and how widely misunderstood it remains, despite its lasting popularity.
The director discussed the film's evolution in public perception, particularly how it’s been embraced by young women in recent years. That stands in stark contrast to a certain group of “Wall Street bros” who have co-opted the film’s critique. Also Read: DYK American Psycho Originally Had Tom Cruise, But He Never Made The Final Cut “It was about a predatory society, and now the society is actually, 25 years later, much worse,” Harron said.
“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.
” In Bret Easton Ellis’ original novel, Patrick Bateman idolizes Trump, a detail that now hits even harder. Harron also addressed ongoing misconceptions about the movie’s satire stating that she is “mystified”. She went on to add, “It was very clear to me and [writer] Guinevere [Turner], who is gay, that we saw it as a gay man’s satire on masculinity.
[Author Bret Easton Ellis’s] 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.” Despite initial backlash toward the film and the novel, Harron is heartened by how newer audiences are engaging with it.
“It got a lot of attacks before it came out. And the book got a lot of attacks by people who never read the book. Not that there isn’t a lot of horrific violence in the book, but there’s, to me, a clear critique.
Not just of masculine behaviour; it’s a critique of society, of the world of exploitation and consumption and greed and reduction of people ...
So I’m really delighted that young women have started liking it.” Get Latest News Live on Times Now along with Breaking News and Top Headlines from Hollywood, Entertainment News and around the world..
