# American Psycho: Monstrosity in the Mirror

> Christian Bale's 2000 film reimagines Brett Easton Ellis's serial killer novel with comedic precision.
- Title: American Psycho: Monstrosity in the Mirror · Scroll | Shortify
- Summary: Christian Bale's 2000 film reimagines Brett Easton Ellis's serial killer novel with comedic precision.
- Keywords: american psycho, christian bale, brett easton ellis, mary harron, wall street, serial killer, comedy of manners, Scroll
- Source: Scroll — https://scroll.in/reel/1097071/weekend-watch-american-psycho-and-the-art-of-depicting-a-monster
- Author: Scroll Staff
- Published: 2026-11-14T04:21:00+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: american psycho, christian bale, brett easton ellis, mary harron, wall street, serial killer, comedy of manners, news, politics
## Scene's subtle nod
A fleeting shot of Brett Easton Ellis's novel American Psycho appears in Jithu Madhavan's Scene.
## Bateman's dual identity
Eeswaran shares with Patrick Bateman a murderous indifference and joy in killing his victims.
## The novel's impact
Ellis's 1991 book is a masterful, unsettling study of psychosis in plain sight.
## Harron's adaptation
Mary Harron's 2000 film replaces graphic violence with a comedy of manners about Wall Street.
## Bateman's reality
Bateman's monstrosity is confirmed by his obsession with appearances and loss of reality.
## Key takeaway

Mary Harron's 2000 film adaptation of American Psycho uses Christian Bale to portray Patrick Bateman's narcissism without graphic violence.