DirectorLuca Guadagninois taking the helm of making a new adaptation ofBret Easton Ellis' novelAmerican Psycho.The question isn’t just, can he do right by Ellis. The question is: can Guadagnino do right byMary Harron? Harron’s cinematic rendition of the novelmade the cannibalistic, misogynistic monster a laughingstock. Albeit, a terrifying one. The movie also featuredChristian Bale’s epic performance as Patrick Bateman, and a litany of star-studded cameos that cemented its high status in cinema lore. Guadagnino has big shoes to fill, but considering his resume — he might just be up to the task. Particularly as Harron’s interpretation leaned into the comedy latent in the novel, rather than the surrealism (something Guadagnino has a penchant for). Let’s take a moment to appreciate exactlyhow Harron took the monster of Ellis' vilified novel to the big screen, and what Guadagnino has done thus far to reassure us the legacy is in good hands.
Harron Leaned Away From the Direct Violence of the Novel
Ellis' novel was vilified when it was published. Eventhe journey to publication was marked by aversion tothe novel’s gruesome violence.So, perhaps it was wise of Harron to magnify the comedy hiding in the bookrather than glorify the violencewhen she translated it to the camera. The audience is welcome to laugh at Bateman from the get-go. He and his friends eat at a fine-dining restaurant whose stuffy atmosphere justifies grabbing a burger from the drive-thru over spending a salary on a fist-sized meal. Fans should count just how many scenes actually are set in restaurants. The high number isn’t a coincidence.Harron understood how important dining is to Ellis' characterization of Bateman in the novel.
Appearance is everything to Bateman, and in the novel, he eats some of his victims. Moments of introspection, such as when Bateman thinks, “Open the hood of a car, and it will tell you something about the people who designed it,” help the reader understandBateman resorts to cannibalism as a twisted way to understand human nature.Which is indeed rather heady and perhaps obscured by the visceral violence that most likely arrests readers' attention. Harron elected to forego the cerebral themes surrounding food and instead used it as a motif to satirize Bateman’s superficiality.
Harron Understood Satire Was the Best Approach to the Brutality
Even Bateman’s heinous murders are rendered into comedy through Harron’s filter. One of the most iconic moments in the movie is when Bateman hacks Paul Allen (played byJared Leto) to bits with an ax whileHuey Lewis and the Newsblares in the background. Another scene occurs near the end of the film when Bateman is running through Manhattan at night. He shoots at a police car, which proceeds to explode in a fashion that might trick the viewer into thinking he’s watchingSaving Private Ryan. Both scenes depict brutal violence —but through an absurdist filter. The violence in the novel is borderline nauseating, and the purpose it serves may be difficult for readers to appreciate in light of the barrage of brutality. In such scenes,Harron converts the novel’s visceral violence into satire, thus making a joke of Bateman and his superficiality.
The Story Needed a New Tone and Perspective
Perhaps a story whose center is so rooted in flawed masculinity could only have been made into a compelling film through afeminist perspective. In 2020,Harron said of the novel,“Obviously there’s extreme violence in it – but there’s also a satirical side that no one was talking about.” Her film bears the imprint of this interpretation. Harron went on to say, “It was obvious to us that [Ellis] was not presenting a traditional expression of masculinity. He was offering an outsider critique of it, just as we were.” While it may have been obvious to Harron and her writing partner,Guinevere Turner, other readers may have missed this critique. By making a satire of Bateman, rather than a violent character study, Harron made him a monster that audiences love to hate (…or hate to love). Leaning into this tone gives a new perspective on Ellis' novel. So, can Luca Guadagnino do the same?
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In the novel, Bateman tries to connect emotionally with other people occasionally but is unable to. He in fact recognizes this emotional defect, thinking, “I am a ghost to this man…unreal…not quite tangible,” in one chapter. Whereas Harron’s satire chronicles the homicidal ravings of Bateman as a madman, the novel attempts to give him a degree of depth. Which is perhaps a bit of a stretch when dealing with a cannibal who rips people apart for pleasure, sure.But this complexity is exactly what Guadagnino’s movies have explored, none more so thanBones and All.
The film’s protagonist, Maren Yearly (played byTaylor Russell) knows she is not like other people, similar to Bateman. And while it might seem like apples and oranges to compare anyone to Bateman, Yearly, too, has a taste for humans. Literally. She bites a girl’s finger at a sleepover, whichinitiates her descent into full-blown cannibalism.On the road, Yearly meets fellow cannibal (don’t let the movie’s choice-word, “eater,” deceive you) Lee (played by frequent Guadagnino collaborator,Timothée Chalamet). The two then embark upon a road trip that’s equal parts romance and cannibalism. And maybe that’s the only kind of relationship a character like Bateman could ever maintain.
Guadagnino Can Explore Sexuality in His Interpretation of the Film
Bateman’s difficulties with sexuality are at the forefront of Ellis' novel. Harron certainly depicts this in her film, but the novel gives the subject more nuance. In films likeCall Me By Your Name(which was also a book first), Guadagino depicts sexuality as a complex subject. Elio Perlman (Chalamet) and Oliver (Armie Hammer) begin a romantic relationship, but must hide their homosexuality. Not only does Perlman try to keep his homosexuality a secret from others, he is in conflict with it himself. He lashes out in frustration at the girl he’s begun to see, Marzia (Esther Garrel), and even channels a bit of Philip Roth, masturbating with a peach. Now, this story and these characters are certainly not on a par with Ellis' depiction of Patrick Bateman,but the themes overlap.
Bateman cannot establish an intimate relationship with others, realizing in one moment, “She embraces me and this time emanates a warmth I’m not familiar with…but my embrace is frozen.” Most of his murders are driven by a cynical, twisted effort to understand human beings by ripping them apart – usually women he has lured into his company for sex.Harron chose to satirize this element of the book, rather than empathize with Bateman(understandably so). Scenes such as that wherein Bateman winks at himself in the mirror during sex are moments of this satire. If Guadagnino aims to reinvent this story, he must portray Bateman’s sexuality through the lens akin to that has developed in films likeCall Me By Your Name.He doesn’t need to make us love Bateman, but maybe, just maybe, we may get some insight into what makes a Wall Street yuppie who eats flesh tick.
Guadagnino’s Films Have Been Leading Up to This
Harron’s satire tempered Bateman’s brutality by giving the audience cause to laugh at him.Guadagnino must give audiences a new experience. Considering how he has successfully blended romance with the macabre and also handled themes of dynamic sexuality, he certainly seems up to the task. Harron’s feminist rendition of Patrick Bateman was necessary to temper the brutal masculinity he embodies in the novel.Guadagnino has an opportunity to dig into Bateman’s twisted psychologyand perhaps give us a more introspective (though still diabolic) character. So, fans of Harron’s movie should be excited — not for a remake that tries to replicate the genius of her satire — but for an entirely new spin on America’s favorite psycho.
American Psycho
In New York City in 1987, a handsome, young urban professional, Patrick Bateman (Christian Bale), lives a second life as a gruesome serial killer by night. The cast is filled by the detective (Willem Dafoe), the fiance (Reese Witherspoon), the mistress (Samantha Mathis), the coworker (Jared Leto), and the secretary (Chloë Sevigny). This is a biting, wry comedy examining the elements that make a man a monster.
American PsychoIs Available to Stream on Netflix in the U.S.
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