Overview

• Mary Harron, director of the 2000 cult classic 'American Psycho,' expressed her mystification over Patrick Bateman's idolization by hyper-masculine online communities, particularly on TikTok.
• Harron reiterated that the film was intended as a satire of toxic masculinity, materialism, and predatory corporate culture, not as an aspirational narrative.
• She emphasized the novel’s origins as a 'gay man’s satire on masculinity,' highlighting Bret Easton Ellis’s unique perspective on homoerotic rituals within alpha-male culture.
• Harron noted that the film’s critique of societal inequality and predatory behavior feels even more relevant today, as economic disparities have widened.
• A new adaptation of 'American Psycho,' directed by Luca Guadagnino and written by Scott Z Burns, is in development, with Austin Butler rumored to play Patrick Bateman, though no casting has been confirmed.