American Psycho Discussion Questions

1) How would you describe Patrick Bateman's character? He is hyperbolic, which means he is an exaggeration of aspects of real people that already exist. What qualities of toxic masculinity does he exacerbate?

2) How is this film a critique of Wall Street culture in the 1980s? Consider, for instance, that Bateman says he works in "murders and executions," but the woman speaking to him hears "mergers and acquisitions."

In the early 1980s, Wall Street was in a high spot, where greed was seen as good and opulence ruled the day.

3) Analyze the title. What does it represent? What is an American Psycho?

4) While the novel that the film was based on was written and set in the 80's, many aspects of it can be linked to current problems in our world. What are those problems?

5) Discuss the scene in the film when Bateman and his colleagues are sitting around discussing women's personalities. When Bateman begins discussing Ed Gein, the serial killer's, view on women (that their heads would look good on a pike), and the men don't laugh, the film seems to be saying something about the relationship between "regular" sexist objectification of women, which the men are performing, and "serial killer level" objectification of women, which Bateman performs. What is it saying?

6)  In both American Psycho and OUT, food is a common theme. What is the relationship between food, bodies, and capitalism in the film?

7)  What is meaningful about the fact that no one hears Bateman's confessions when he makes them? 

8) What is significant about the fact that Bateman's identity seems to get mixed up with his colleagues at various points in time? What might this have to do with his statement: "there is an idea of a Patrick Bateman, some kind of abstraction, but there is no real me, only an entity, something illusory...though you can shake my hand and feel flesh gripping yours and maybe you can even sense our lifestyles are probably comparable: I simply am not there"?

9) What kind of effect does the listing of restaurants, music, and brand names have in the film?

10) What might be significant about the fact that Patrick Bateman objectifies himself as well as others?

11) Analyze the following statement from Patrick Bateman: "There is an idea of a Patrick Bateman, some kind of abstraction, but there is no real me, only an entity, something illusory, and though I can hide my cold gaze and you can shake my hand and feel flesh gripping yours and maybe you can even sense our lifestyles are probably comparable: I simply am not there.”


12) Compare Masako and Bateman, and their relationships to their work. Do they have anything in common? What differences do you note between them?

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