American Psycho (2000) SPOILERS

There's a debate as to whether or not it was mostly in his head (that's what I think) or that, since all of the Wall Street guys have become so similar in an effort to fit in, that the lawyer simply can't really tell the difference between Paul Allen and others of his ilk (see Paul Allen himself thinking that Bateman was another guy the entire movie), which is a pretty legit theory itself and more interesting than the typical "in the head" deal. I think it was imagined because some of the scenes were too out there(running naked through hallways with a chainsaw and having no one else see him, the massive killing spree) plus Paul Allen's apartment being shown to potential buyers with no sign of murder).

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But what about Paul Allen's apartment being cleaned out and all of the bodies gone ?

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Well Bateman was very jealous of Allen's apartment.

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Patrick Bateman: [voice-over] There is a moment of sheer panic when I realize that Paul's apartment overlooks the park... and is obviously more expensive than mine.

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And one could argue that the look given by the relator seemed to imply that she knew what had happened and had cleaned up the mess so she could sell the apartment. That theory would speak to the greed that permeated the 80s (which was the period in which the film was set).

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And one could argue that the look given by the relator seemed to imply that she knew what had happened and had cleaned up the mess so she could sell the apartment. That theory would speak to the greed that permeated the 80s (which was the period in which the film was set).

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That's what I've always taken that scene away.

Great movie and Bale's performance is amazing. It has really become popular over the last few years. I view it almost as a very dark comedy....which the director claims to have failed because she never intended it to be seen that way.

You can't go a few days without seeing or hearing a quote from American Psycho. Hell, everytime I see a new business card, I reference this movie in my head. Not to mention I can't listen Hip to be Square anymore without laughing.

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There's a debate as to whether or not it was mostly in his head (that's what I think) or that, since all of the Wall Street guys have become so similar in an effort to fit in, that the lawyer simply can't really tell the difference between Paul Allen and others of his ilk (see Paul Allen himself thinking that Bateman was another guy the entire movie).

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I've always been in the camp that adhered to this theory, since originally reading the book and seeing the movie over a decade ago and after rewatching it several times and reading theories and reviews online for many years.. I still like this explanation the best. The director has mostly been intentionally ambiguous about it.

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This is kind of how I looked at things at the end.

But what about Paul Allen's apartment being cleaned out and all of the bodies gone ?

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I always interpreted it as yet another commentary on the greed of the time. i.e. - real estate agents cared more about selling million dollar apartments than dealing with the police and the difficulty of getting full price for a property after there had been a murder there.

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I really enjoyed the movie, but had a question about the end sequence when Bale confessed to his lawyer and the lawyer said he saw Paul Allen (Jared Leto) in London last week. I was under the assumption that Bateman (Bale) murdered him. Did I miss something or did it go over my head.

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I believe it is almost not even a theory anymore. IMO, yes he did murder all those people, including Paul Allen. The major theme of the book/movie is the yuppie/Wall Street culture of the late 80s. Everyone was obsessed with money, luxury, and other superficialities. Constantly people refered to each other with incorrect names in social settings, and they never corrected each other...they just didn't care. The lawyer claimed he saw Paul Allen in London, but it wasn't really Paul Allen, just someone he had mistaken him for.

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He didn't kill anyone. He is psychotic

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disagree

I agree. I dont think he killed anyone. It was all in his head. Great movie though. Cant believe they are remaking it.

The book is awesome too

So was Willem Dafoe's just a figment of his imagination?

Also, does anyone think that the scene in the Dark Knight where Batman jumps on the van was a reference to American Psycho?