Just watched American Psycho. It was all in his head, right?

*****spoilers**********8

Not in his head. He really did do it.

The movie was about greed, material possessions, and power in the 1980's. The only way people really knew each other in the movie was through hearsay on what accounts they held, what suits they wore, what restaurants they could get into.

The main character (Bateman) was mistaken for several different people throughout the course of the film - and he desperately wanted to fit in...but ultimately wanted to be known and have his own identity.

Bateman did really kill Paul Allen. The problem is none of the other characters really knew who Paul Allen was. Nor did they really know Bateman. Hence the confused lawyer at the end of the movie.

The author, Bret Easton Ellis, has confirmed that he really did murder those people.

American Psycho is one of the most disturbing books I've read. Ellis is a pretty mediocre writer in my opinion, but a friend recommended I take a look at A.P. due to the spooky resemblance so many of the characters have to the now adult guys from my college track team...

Huck wrote:

a friend recommended I take a look at A.P. due to the spooky resemblance so many of the characters have to the now adult guys from my college track team...

I've long thought that Patrick Bateman, as played by Christian Bale, had a spooky resemblance to Mitt Romney.

I think I've come to appreciate that film more over the years. Although it probably freaked me out a bit early on, I now find much of it to be really funny.

Huck wrote:

American Psycho is one of the most disturbing books I've read. Ellis is a pretty mediocre writer in my opinion, but a friend recommended I take a look at A.P. due to the spooky resemblance so many of the characters have to the now adult guys from my college track team...

American Psycho is BEE's magnum opus. The rest of his stuff isn't special, but he really encapsulates the malignant mix of capitalism, consumerism, narcissism and nihilism of the Reagan 80s/post-hippie sellout boomers in AP.

classic invesment bankers. just going around murdering people. geez...

It was all in his head.

well if you remember the end of the movie when he is on the phone saying "i dont think i will get away with it this time" makes me always think he not only has done this before and his lawyer or dad covered it up, but that he did it the first time when he was in college....again one of the posts mentioned that no one know who Paul Allen was, and noone realized Bateman was the VP of his dads company.

To me it was all real and he started to lose his mind and not be able to differentiate between what was a real murder and what was just in his head..."ive killed a lot, a lot of people".....and then you think the ultra rich billionares can just about get away with anything

It was all a metaphorical journey into an ethical, moral, and superficial wasteland, where money overrides humanity.

Time for clips.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1NyzQwwO4Os

While the author may say he really did kill the people in the book, I am hesitant to say this is the case in the movie, almost regardless of what anyone says. The part where Bateman shoots the police and blows up their cars is especially convincing it was in his head as even Bateman himself seems surprised, and the whole scene is beyond believable, as if it is a satire of thriller movies rather than one itself. The notebook filled with sadistic scribblings also alludes to the idea it was all mere fantasy. Though no doubt the story is a commentary on the superficiality and petty nihilism of yuppie culture, Bateman himself was indeed a psycho. The funniest part about the whole story is how acutely aware of his madness he is and how blindly ignorant everyone else is to it. Really a great film, but I would only watch it with very select individuals as it is highly disturbing, even for someone with psychopathic tendencies such as myself.

Can't leave out the killing of Paul Allen, or who he thought was Paul Allen or imagining of the killing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kI_ukqMO3lk&feature=related

Yes yes yes TheThe film is fantasy just like what’s going on in Bateman\'s head

It was a documentary.

All of it happened.

I just have to say, that for someone who has read nearly all of what B.E.E, has written, I think he is way too graphic for my tastes. In addition, he ruined the movie for me. After seeing American Psycho a few times, I decided to read the book. It was really tough to stomach, and for some reason I went on to read Less Than Zero, which I felt was downright disgusting. I like B.E.E. in theory, but in practice he is just too much for me.

Great movie....that said, the 80's were great, for most everyone, this fictitious myth hollywood creates about it is ridiculous.

ok were are the bodies? he went to paul allens and it was white washed..no bodies??? very confusing

I read the book and watched the movie about the time each came out (1991/2000). My recollection is that the book made it seem like it was real and the movie made it seem like it was in his head.