American Psycho gets a remake!

Studios are actively banking on nostalgia, which means that we now get to see a lot of classics being remade or shows with a fan following in their prime make a comeback. 

While it is still debatable that there is a dearth of original stories, it also seems safer to invest in a project or story that has previously found success. 

American Psycho was released in 2000. An adaptation of the 1991 novel by Bret Easton Ellis, the movie was a box office success and today is highly regarded as a cult classic due to its satirical take on society and, of course, Christian Bale’s performance, which is commemorated in internet memes till today. 

The story is about Patrick Bateman, a wealthy 1980s banker who is obsessed with his status and his appearance. At a business meeting, his jealousy towards his colleagues spikes when they compare business cards. Patrick later takes it out on a homeless man, his first victim. 

His resentment towards his colleague, Paul Allen, intensifies when he secures a reservation at an exclusive restaurant and then mistakes him as someone else at a Christmas party. He lures him into an apartment and kills him with an axe. He then covers up for the murder by cleaning the apartment and leaving a voicemail, an excuse for Allen’s disappearance. 

Over the course of the movie, Bateman succumbs to his murderous fantasies, unable to stop. He is beginning to look at society through a different perspective. For too long, it has been about appearances and restaurant reservations; now it has become a fight to just be seen. 

Perhaps it is an awakening or sorts. Bateman was a willing participant in a superficial society but now he yearns for more. To not be seen as one of the crowd, but stand out. 

Several murders later, Bateman decides to confess to his lawyer about the murders, but to his surprise, his lawyer thinks it was all a joke since he had just had dinner with Allen a few days ago. 

The ending is ambiguous. Did Bateman really kill all those people, or did he hallucinate them? Is society so indifferent to murders, or preoccupied with superficiality to not give any importance to anything? 

Now that the story is being adapted again, it has been reported that several actors have declined the role to play the iconic Patrick Bateman. 

Is it because no one wants to step into Christian Bale’s shoes, or is it more to do with the source material? 

Think Christian Bale and you are bound to think of Patrick Bateman, along with Batman, as his finest performances. The memes are active even today. A new actor runs the risk of imitation but gets the benefit of being culturally relevant online for a while. If they are able to lend their version of Bateman and be successful, it definitely opens more doors for them. 

Luca Guadagino, who is helming the project, has stated that his movie will align more closely to the novel, which means Patrick Bateman will be even more violent and rigid in his personal beliefs. 

Could this be the reason why most actors have declined the role? In this era, when people are sensitive about several political issues, taking on the role of a violent and biased man may be too risky. Or it could be just the risk that pays off. 

So whether we get a new masterful version of Patrick Bateman or a pale imitation, it all rests in the hands of the director.